New Delhi, May 15: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the NEET-UG re-examination will be conducted on June 21, while the medical entrance examination will shift to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from next year as part of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and security in the examination system.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Pradhan assured students and parents that the government would not allow any irregularities to affect the future of candidates again. He said protecting the interests of students remained the Centre’s highest priority.
“Our topmost priority is the future of the students, and the government is sensitive towards their hard work and efforts. We will not let malpractice happen this time. The government is with you. We had to make a difficult decision in the interest of the nation,” the minister said.
Leak Confirmed After Multi-Day Verification Process
The Education Minister admitted that examination questions had circulated under the cover of so-called “guess papers,” leading the government to cancel the earlier examination after verification of the leak allegations.
According to Pradhan, the verification exercise began on May 8 and continued for four days before the Centre reached a final conclusion.
“The process started on May 8 and continued through May 9, 10 and 11. Once it became clear that questions had leaked, the government decided on May 12 to cancel the examination so that deserving students do not suffer because of the conspiracy of education mafias,” he stated.
He added that the government acted only after receiving sufficient confirmation regarding the authenticity of the leaked material.
Zero-Tolerance Policy On Examination Irregularities
Highlighting the Centre’s stand on examination fraud, Pradhan said the government continues to follow a strict zero-tolerance approach toward paper leaks and malpractice.
He noted that the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee, constituted after earlier controversies surrounding examination management, had already been implemented for the 2025 and 2026 examination cycles.
“Even after implementing the recommendations word for word, this incident still occurred. Therefore, cancelling the examination became necessary in the interest of fairness,” he said.
The minister stressed that the issue should be treated as a challenge related to examination processes rather than a failure of any single institution.
NTA Accountable, Reforms To Continue
Defending the National Testing Agency, Pradhan said the organisation remains accountable and will undergo further improvements to eliminate future lapses.
“NTA is fully accountable. It conducts examinations for nearly one crore students annually and was formed on the recommendation of the Supreme Court. We will ensure zero errors in the system,” he said.
He also announced that students who paid examination fees earlier would receive refunds, while no fee would be charged for the upcoming re-examination.
“We will return the fees of students. The upcoming examination will be conducted with zero fees,” he announced.
NEET To Shift To Computer-Based Test Mode
In a major reform decision, the Education Minister confirmed that from next year the NEET examination will be conducted entirely in CBT mode to improve security, monitoring and transparency.
The move is expected to reduce the risk of paper leaks and streamline the examination process across the country.
The minister further stated that candidates would once again be given the opportunity to choose their preferred examination city because many students had already left their earlier exam centres following cancellation of the test.
“The NTA will issue a detailed public notice by this evening. Students will get one week to select their preferred city again,” he said.
Exam Duration Increased, Transport Support Planned
To ease pressure on students and improve examination management, the government has also decided to extend the duration of the test by 15 minutes.
The examination, originally scheduled from 2 pm to 5 pm, will now conclude at 5:15 pm to accommodate attendance procedures and verification formalities.
Pradhan said the Centre would coordinate with state governments to minimise inconvenience for students appearing in the re-examination.
“The Government of India will speak with states regarding transportation arrangements. I will personally speak to Chief Ministers so that students face minimal difficulties,” he added.
The minister further informed that admit cards for the NEET-UG re-examination would be issued to all candidates by June 14.