Centre tells SC NEET system is secure, outlines safeguards for question-paper preparation and transport

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has assured the Supreme Court that the current NEET examination system is secure, with robust safeguards in place for question-paper preparation and transportation. During a hearing of petitions seeking structural reforms in the agency, the government clarified that subject experts and moderators collaborate to create questions for a shared question bank.

Crucially, these experts are unaware of which questions will ultimately be included in the final examination, preventing any one individual from gaining access to the entire paper beforehand.

To further enhance security, question-paper vehicles are equipped with GPS devices that monitor their movements. In light of the Supreme Court's intervention and the government's ongoing overhaul of the NTA, the Education Ministry has recently removed 600 subject experts from the examination team and is set to introduce 20 to 25 new experts. Additionally, another 20 to 25 officials are anticipated to join the agency within the next two to three weeks.

NTA will implement a four-tier system to rigorously examine question papers, ensuring the detection of factual, typographical, language, and translation-related errors prior to their distribution to candidates. The existing process already incorporates subject experts, psychometricians, and multiple rounds of review. Furthermore, the agency will relocate its offices from Okhla to the Government of India Press building on Minto Road in central Delhi, with additional security provided by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) teams.

This comprehensive overhaul aims to address the repeated concerns surrounding paper leaks and errors in major examinations, including NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and to bolster accountability and restore confidence in the examination system.