Nandan Nilekani-led panel on NEET reforms to submit first report by month-end: Centre to SC

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the Nandan Nilekani-led panel, set up to recommend structural reforms for NEET, is expected to submit its first interim report by the end of this month. The panel has engaged in extensive consultations, holding discussions with members of an earlier committee led by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that all suggestions have been presented to the panel, which included a request for the joint secretary to the Department of Personnel and Training to file an affidavit on the steps taken so far. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, emphasized the importance of institutionalising the entire NEET process, stating that permanency is the key.

They expressed interest in visiting the National Testing Agency (NTA)'s upgraded facility to assess the current system. The education department has claimed to have created a new, upgraded system, although Mehta noted that human resources are only partially ensured for the moment.