Former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan has informed the Supreme Court that most recommendations from the high-level expert committee formed post the NEET-UG 2024 controversy have been put into action or are in progress. These reforms aim to ensure fair and transparent conduct of exams by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Radhakrishnan, who led both the High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE) on NTA reforms and the subsequent High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) overseeing their implementation, submitted an affidavit to the apex court. The HLCE, set up by the Union Ministry of Education in June 2024 after the NEET-UG controversy, engaged in extensive consultations with various stakeholders to gather feedback and suggestions.
The committee’s report, submitted on October 21, 2024, included 101 recommendations covering exam reforms, data security, NTA restructuring, exam integrity, mental health support, and technological safeguards. A High-Powered Steering Committee was later formed on November 14, 2024, to supervise the implementation of these recommendations and has been monitoring progress closely through reviews and presentations by NTA officials.
State governments are now actively participating in NEET exams through State-Level Coordination Committees (SLCCs) and District-Level Coordination Committees (DLCCs) as recommended by the HLCE. Over 99.5% of NEET-UG 2026 exam centers were government institutions, with city coordinators from government schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
On strengthening the NTA, 16 new senior-level posts have been created, and domain-specific experts from institutions like IITs, UGC, and KVS have been deployed. Aadhaar-based biometric authentication has been introduced for NEET-UG candidates as part of the proposed “DIGI-EXAM” system’s first phase.
