Government mulls single entrance exam for engineering, medical courses
What's the story
The central government is mulling over a proposal to introduce a single entrance examination for engineering and medical courses. The proposal was presented by senior officials to a parliamentary standing committee on Thursday, according to The Economic Times. If implemented, this would replace the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) with one common test.
Exam format
Proposed model to have separate sections for mathematics, biology
The proposed model would have a single national-level exam with separate sections for Mathematics and Biology. This would mean engineering aspirants would take a Mathematics section, while medical candidates would focus on Biology-related questions. Reportedly, committee members largely backed the proposal, seeing it as a more streamlined and efficient admission process.
Exam reforms
Changes to age limits, attempt restrictions for NEET aspirants considered
During the meeting, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi briefed the parliamentary panel on exam reforms. They also discussed recommendations from the Dr K Radhakrishnan Committee. The government is considering changes to age limits and attempt restrictions for NEET aspirants, similar to other national exams.
CBT transition
Shift of NEET-UG to computer-based testing
The panel was also informed about plans to shift NEET-UG to a computer-based testing (CBT) format from next year. This is part of broader reforms in the examination system. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier hinted at this move, saying, "The root cause of this was OMR, and therefore, from the next year, the exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode."
Exam controversy
Discussions follow NEET-UG paper leak re-examination announcement
The discussions come in the wake of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. The exam was held on May 3 across India and abroad, but was canceled due to allegations of a coordinated paper leak. This led to protests and political criticism, prompting calls for accountability. A re-examination is now scheduled for June 21 with fresh question papers and enhanced security measures.