NEET-UG to get age limit, attempt cap in future? Many reforms being implemented, NTA tells Supreme Court

Affidavits filed by NTA and former ISRO chairman outline major changes proposed after the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak and their implementation.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) aspirants could face age restrictions and limits on the number of attempts in the future, according to recommendations made by the expert committee set up after the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak controversy.

In an affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court on Friday, May 29, Dr Koppillil Radhakrishnan, former ISRO chairman and head of the High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE) on National Testing Agency (NTA) reforms, stated that the panel had recommended a number of reforms, including "a transition from Pen-and-Paper to Computer-Based Testing, introduction of multi-session and multi-stage testing, imposition of number-of-attempts and age limits etc." 

The recommendations were part of a broader overhaul prepared after the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, when allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities triggered nationwide protests and scrutiny.

According to Radhakrishnan, the committee submitted its report to the Ministry of Education on October 21, 2024, after extensive consultations with stakeholders, including students, parents, state governments, police officials, academicians, media organisations and global testing agencies.

The committee received 37,144 responses through the MyGov portal and ultimately proposed 101 reforms aimed at strengthening examination security and improving the functioning of NTA. Of these, 60 were classified as short-term recommendations, 35 as long-term reforms, while six related to monitoring and periodic review mechanisms.

"Implementation in advanced stages": NTA

In a separate affidavit filed before the apex court, NTA stated that many of the committee's recommendations have already been implemented, while several others are currently being rolled out.

"The Answering Respondent has implemented, or is in the advanced stages of implementing, a substantial body of the recommendations contained in the HLCE Report," the affidavit mentioned.

While no formal decision has yet been announced on introducing age limits or attempt caps for NEET-UG, the affidavits indicate that these remain among the reforms under consideration.

This comes weeks after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that NEET-UG would move to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format from 2027 onwards, another recommendation that formed part of the Radhakrishnan Committee report.

Is the monitoring committee still active?

The affidavits also address concerns about whether the reform process announced after the 2024 controversy is still being monitored.

According to NTA, the High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), constituted by the Ministry of Education in November 2024, continues to oversee the implementation of the committee's recommendations. The committee is chaired by Radhakrishnan and includes Prof Ramamurthy K of IIT Madras, Prof Aditya Mittal of IIT Delhi and senior officials from the Ministry of Education.

In its affidavit, NTA stated, "The HPSC remains in existence, is fully functional, and continues to discharge its monitoring role."

How is exam security being ensured?

The affidavits also provide a detailed account of the security measures introduced after the 2024 controversy.

According to the documents, State-Level Coordination Committees and District-Level Coordination Committees were established to increase the involvement of state administrations in the conduct of examinations. More than 99.5 per cent of NEET-UG 2026 examination centres were government institutions, while city coordinators were drawn from Kendriya Vidyalayas and government schools.

The affidavits further reveal that Aadhaar-based biometric authentication was introduced for candidates appearing in NEET-UG 2026.

Other measures included multi-layer frisking, CCTV surveillance, mobile jammers, AI-based monitoring systems and data analytics to detect suspicious activity.

NTA informed the court that around 1.85 lakh CCTV cameras were deployed across examination centres and that AI tools were used to analyse feeds for possible malpractice. The agency also stated that mobile jammers had been installed at all 5,432 examination centres across the country.

What is the way-forward?

The affidavits indicate that several long-term reforms are still being rolled out under the supervision of the High-Powered Steering Committee.

Among the key proposals are the transition to Computer Adaptive Testing, greater use of artificial intelligence for surveillance and analytics, stronger cybersecurity systems, harmonisation of entrance examinations, and measures aimed at reducing students' dependence on coaching institutes.

The NTA also informed the court that long-term plans include the development of at least 1,000 secure testing centres in reputed government institutions, expansion of cloud-based examination infrastructure, and the use of emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and blockchain to strengthen examination security.

The agency further stated that surplus funds available with NTA are being invested in strengthening examination integrity through advanced cybersecurity systems, next-generation firewalls, upgraded IT infrastructure, AI-enabled CCTV monitoring, mobile jammers, improved control-room networks, and standardised security infrastructure across examination centres.

NTA also told the court that it is "institutionalising stricter rotation and randomisation policies for paper setters, moderators, translators, proof-readers and other personnel involved in high-stakes examinations." In addition, rigorous background verification and antecedent checks will be carried out for officials and experts associated with sensitive examinations.

NTA expanded after committee recommendations

The affidavits also reveal that the government has strengthened NTA's administrative structure since the 2024 controversy.

According to NTA, 16 new senior-level positions have been created within the agency, including eight Director-level and eight Joint Director-level posts. The agency is now headed by an officer of Secretary rank, while two Joint Secretary-level officers have also been appointed.

Radhakrishnan's affidavit further notes that experts from institutions such as the IITs, University Grants Commission (UGC) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan have been brought into examination management and advisory processes.

NEET-UG 2026 cancelled 'in interest of students'

The affidavit also lays out the sequence of events that led to the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026.

According to NTA, the examination was conducted on May 3. On May 7, the agency received intelligence inputs alleging malpractice and shared them with central agencies the following day for verification.

The examination was cancelled on May 12 and the matter was referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Defending the decision, NTA told the court that the move had been taken "in the interest of students and in recognition of the trust on which the national examination system rests."

The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is currently scheduled to be held on June 21.