Parliamentary panel summons NTA chief over NEET-UG 2026 paper leak
The parliamentary standing committee will review the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, NTA reforms, and the re-examination schedule
In the aftermath of the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following allegations of a question paper leak, National Testing Agency (NTA) Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi, along with senior government officials, has been called to appear before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports for discussions on the issue.
Panel to review paper leak
As per a notice issued by the Rajya Sabha, the parliamentary panel is scheduled to hear the views of top officials from the Ministry of Education on May 21 regarding the alleged examination leak, as well as the proposed restructuring and reforms of the NTA, the body responsible for conducting centralised entrance examinations for undergraduate admissions.
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The notice also stated that the meeting agenda includes a review of the implementation of the recommendations made by the K. Radhakrishnan Committee on NTA reforms, alongside an update on the ongoing investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
The committee, chaired by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has summoned Vineet Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, and NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi for the deliberations.
Exam cancelled, re-test date announced
The NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam (Undergraduate) held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country.
Also Read: NEET-UG 2026 exam to be re-conducted on June 21, says NTA
According to the NTA, information regarding alleged malpractice was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the exam was held.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday announced that the NEET-UG re-examination would be held on June 21. He said the medical entrance exam would be computer-based from next year.
Broader education agenda before panel
The panel will also deliberate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education and strategies to enhance students’ employability. Representatives from Anthropic India, Pratham, IIT Kanpur, Infosys and IIT Madras are among those summoned for the discussions.
In a separate session, the committee will hold discussions with the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the chairperson of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on issues related to institutions, including implementation of reservations, vacancies and the National Education Policy (NEP).
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The panel will also discuss its 379th report on action taken by the government on recommendations contained in the 365th report on Demands for Grants 2025-26 of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
It will also take up the 380th report on action taken on recommendations contained in the 368th report on review of the functioning of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and teacher training initiatives under the NEP 2020.
(With agency inputs)