NEET-UG 2026: The Centre is considering introducing an upper age limit and capping the number of attempts for NEET-UG aspirants as part of major reforms planned after the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Currently, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts NEET-UG in a single-shift pen-and-paper format. Candidates must be at least 17 years old to appear for the examination, but there is no upper age limit or restriction on the number of attempts.
According to the Hindustan Times Report, the proposed reforms were discussed during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports. The committee, headed by Digvijaya Singh, was informed that the reforms would be implemented in consultation with the Union Health Ministry.
The proposed long-term measures include introducing an upper age limit, limiting the number of attempts, shifting NEET-UG to a computer-based test (CBT) mode, and conducting multi-session and multi-stage examinations.
Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had announced that NEET-UG would shift to a digital format from next year.
NTA Says It Was Not A ‘Paper Leak’
During the parliamentary panel meeting, BJP members objected to the use of the term “ leak” in the discussion and agenda, according to the Hindustan Times report. The Parliamentary Standing Committee questioned NTA Director General Abhishek Singh over the controversy and the steps being taken to prevent future irregularities.
The NTA told the panel that there was no full paper leak and claimed that only some questions were circulated outside the system. The NTA and the Ministry maintained that the issue was not technically a leak.
However, the controversy began after allegations surfaced that at least 120 questions in a “guess paper” allegedly matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3.
The agency said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the matter. The NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled to be held on June 21, 2026.
The exam was cancelled on May 12 following claims of widespread malpractice. More than 22 lakh candidates had appeared for the examination across India and abroad.
The CBI, which is probing the case, has arrested 10 suspects so far. According to the agency’s remand application filed on May 14, confidential examination questions were allegedly circulated in PDF format via WhatsApp before the exam, and some of the circulated questions matched the actual paper.
Radhakrishnan Committee Recommendations
The proposed reforms are based on recommendations made by an expert panel chaired by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan. The committee submitted a report in October 2024 containing 95 recommendations for improving examination systems.
The panel suggested that multi-stage testing could be a viable option and recommended creating a framework for scoring systems, ranking methods and attempt limits.
At present, the NTA has the infrastructure to conduct computer-based tests for around 1.5 lakh candidates per shift. The agency reportedly plans to increase this capacity to 10 lakh candidates within a year. NEET-UG 2026 had around 22.7 lakh applicants, making it one of the largest entrance exams in the country.
New Security Measures Planned
The NTA informed the parliamentary committee that several reforms have already been implemented for the June 21 re-test. These include Aadhaar-linked biometric verification, face authentication during registration, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled CCTV surveillance, mobile jammers, and multi-layer frisking at examination centers.
The agency is also planning cloud-based examination systems, stronger cybersecurity protocols, and an NTA-owned testing platform as part of future reforms.
Reports also suggest that authorities are exploring ways to align engineering and medical entrance examinations through common technological standards and processes, though not necessarily by merging the exams.
