NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: House Panel to Review NTA Reforms Report

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak concerns are set to be reviewed again as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports plans to examine the implementation of reforms suggested for the National Testing Agency (NTA). The committee will also assess the progress made in the ongoing investigation linked to the alleged examination leak.

The panel, headed by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has called senior officials from the Education Ministry and NTA for discussions scheduled on May 21, 2026.

NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak Investigation and Committee Meeting

The committee has summoned Vineet Joshi, Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, along with NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi for the review meeting. The discussion is expected to focus on steps taken after recommendations submitted by the high-level committee led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.

Before the scheduled review, the committee highlighted the importance of examining reforms suggested to improve transparency, security and operational efficiency in national-level examinations conducted by the NTA.

The seven-member reform panel was formed after the earlier NEET controversy in 2024. It proposed several measures aimed at strengthening examination systems and improving monitoring mechanisms to prevent future irregularities.

NTA Reform Report and Parliamentary Recommendations

The standing committee had earlier presented a report in Parliament reviewing autonomous bodies such as the NTA and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Before discussing the latest developments, the report had raised concerns regarding public confidence in the NTA. According to the committee, the agency generated a surplus of nearly INR 448 crore over the past six years after collecting more than INR 3,512 crore and spending around INR 3,064 crore.

The panel recommended that the surplus amount should be used to strengthen the NTA’s internal testing capabilities and improve regulatory oversight over private vendors involved in examination management.

Dharmendra Pradhan Remarks Trigger Political Response

The issue also led to a political exchange after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan commented on the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s observations during a recent press conference.

The minister reportedly stated that decisions regarding reforms would be guided by the recommendations of the K Radhakrishnan committee rather than opinions expressed by the parliamentary panel.

Following the remarks, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh moved a privilege notice against the minister in the Rajya Sabha. Digvijaya Singh also criticised the statement and said the committee’s reports had been adopted unanimously, including support from BJP members.

The committee is now expected to review both the implementation status of reforms and the institutional response to the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation during the upcoming hearing.