A two-stage NEET, a permanent statutory national examination authority and an independent body to audit examination standards are among the proposals submitted to the High-Powered Task Force (HPTF) on public examination reforms, as stakeholders call for a more secure, transparent and error-free system for national-level entrance tests.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), doctors’ and medical students’ body United Doctors Front (UDF), and coaching group representatives Educators Federation of India have proposed measures ranging from restructuring the examination authority to changing the architecture of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and tightening the movement and handling of question papers. ABVP has proposed a two-stage model for major competitive examinations, with the first stage used for shortlisting and the second for final selection. It has also suggested examining the feasibility of conducting NEET twice a year, with the better score considered.
The suggestions, covering examination security and design, governance, technology, malpractice prevention, infrastructure, transparency and student well-being, came after the Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani-led HPTF invited inputs from students, parents, teachers, academic institutions, examination bodies and technology experts on making India’s public examination system “robust, secure, transparent, equitable and future-ready”. Its recommendations call for “stronger question-paper security”, uniform standards for examination centres, robust candidate verification, transparent answer-key and normalisation systems, and independent security audits. UDF has called for the creation of a permanent statutory examination authority through an Act of Parliament, arguing that examinations such as NEET-UG (undergraduate) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) require an institution with “permanent and adequately trained manpower” and specialised divisions for cybersecurity, digital forensics, psychometrics, statistics and examination logistics. On oversight, the Educators Federation has proposed a permanent “National Assessment Integrity and Standards Council”, separate from day-to-day examination operations, to issue technical standards, accredit centres, empanel auditors and review psychometric reports.
