A Parliamentary panel has recommended shifting NEET-UG to the computer-based test (CBT) mode, introducing reasonable age and attempt limits for candidates and bringing the National Testing Agency (NTA) under a parliamentary accountability framework to strengthen examination security and prevent paper leaks.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has also called for government-owned examination centres in every district, a secure question bank, permanent professional staff for NTA and an in-house cybersecurity team to tackle hacking threats.Separately, it recommended allowing late-arriving candidates to enter examination halls after signing an undertaking, but only for the remaining examination time, without any additional time.The committee recommended that question papers be set close to the examination date, with questions drawn digitally from a large, diverse and continuously updated question bank. It also called for strict quarantine and sequestering of final paper-vetters until the examination concludes.“The committee, therefore, is of the view that NTA should invest in building a large, diverse, and continuously updated question bank which can be drawn on to set papers without the advance knowledge of the question-setters. The committee notes that in the CBT format, question papers no longer have to be printed and transported to examination centres,” the report said.The panel said the CBT format would reduce the risk of paper leaks by eliminating the transportation of printed question papers. It recommended that NTA engage experts from reputed institutions, including IITs, AIIMS and IIMs, to develop question banks and undertake translations. Their professional track records should be verified to establish integrity and rule out conflicts of interest.The committee also called for a concrete implementation plan, backed by budgetary provisions, to establish secure government-owned CBT centres, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. It recommended at least one examination centre in every district to reduce students’ travel and accommodation expenses.“All centres must be owned and operated by the Union and/or State Governments,” the report said, flagging private examination centres operating through subcontractors as a potential weak link in examination security. It also recommended mock tests to familiarise students with the digital interface.Pointing out that 39 permanent posts in NTA were being filled through deputation, the committee said the agency needed a dedicated cadre of professionals with expertise in psychometrics, examination security, digital infrastructure, data analytics and logistics. NTA has started recruiting experts to strengthen its digital infrastructure and security.The panel further recommended moving towards computer-adaptive testing (CAT), supported by artificial intelligence, once NTA’s digital infrastructure matures. Such a system could select questions according to candidates’ aptitude and normalise scores based on the difficulty level of questions. It also called for a robust in-house cybersecurity team to develop secure examination software.The committee recommended that the Health Ministry introduce reasonable age and attempt limits for major examinations, including NEET-UG, noting that there was currently no restriction on the number of attempts or a substantive upper age limit. It cited the participation of candidates above 70 years of age and suggested an exception for UGC-NET.The panel also sought an annual equity audit of major examinations, analysing participation, pass and cut-off achievement rates by state, gender, school board, medium of instruction and social category.The Department of Higher Education told the committee that no paper leak had occurred in NTA-conducted examinations between the agency’s formation in 2017 and 2025, despite instances of malpractices and disruptions. The panel noted that the ministry’s assertion differed from the views of some committee members.