Health Ministry, NTA, NMC officials to brief parliamentary panel on NEET-UG re-exam tomorrow

Senior officials from the Union Health and Education ministries, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Medical Commission (NMC) are scheduled to appear before a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, June 10, to brief members on the conduct of the NEET-UG re-examination slated for June 21.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has summoned the Health and Higher Education secretaries, along with top officials of the NTA and NMC, to discuss the re-test and issues related to the conduct of the medical entrance examination.

The meeting comes in the wake of the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 following reports of a paper leak, triggering widespread concern among students and parents. The issue has also drawn national attention after reports of student suicides linked to the uncertainty surrounding the examination.

The panel is expected to hear the views of the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, and senior officials of the NMC and NTA on the conduct of NEET examinations under the NMC Act, 2019.

The appearance before the Health Committee marks the third time senior officials from the ministries, NTA and NMC will be questioned by parliamentary panels over the controversy. They have already appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education and the Committee on Government Assurances, where they reportedly stated that their immediate focus was on conducting the June 21 NEET-UG re-test in pen-and-paper mode.

The Health Committee's examination forms part of its broader review of the organisational structure, mandate and functioning of regulatory institutions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, is also examining the NEET paper leak controversy and the CBSE's on-screen marking system. The panel has sought detailed written responses from the NTA and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

According to sources, the committee has asked the NTA to define what constitutes a "paper leak" and provide details of any such incidents in examinations conducted since 2018. The questionnaire follows the agency's submission before the panel last week, where officials reportedly maintained that no paper leak occurred from the NTA's system and suggested that some of the circulated questions may have originated from a guess paper.

The committee has also sought clarification on whether the NTA conducted any independent inquiry into allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination apart from the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Earlier, CBI Director Praveen Sood had also appeared before a parliamentary panel to brief members on the progress of the investigation into the paper leak case and efforts to identify and arrest those involved.