The spotlight has once again turned to the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a Parliamentary panel intensifies its examination of the agency’s conduct following the controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2024.

The Parliamentary Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Digvijaya Singh, has asked the NTA to clearly define what constitutes a “paper leak” and disclose whether any such incidents have occurred in examinations conducted by the agency since its inception in 2018.

The move signals a broader effort by lawmakers to examine the integrity, transparency and accountability of India’s competitive examination system following one of the country’s biggest testing controversies.

Panel Seeks Clarity On ‘Paper Leak’ Definition

According to sources, the committee has specifically sought a written explanation from the NTA on what it considers a paper leak and whether any examination conducted by the agency has suffered such a breach since 2018.

The question assumes significance in light of claims reportedly made by NTA officials during their recent appearance before the panel.

Officials are understood to have argued that there was no leak from NTA systems during the NEET-UG controversy and that questions circulating before the examination may have originated from a “guess paper” rather than an actual leaked question paper.

The committee now wants the agency to formally clarify its position and the standards it applies when determining whether a breach has occurred.

Questions Raised Over NEET-UG 2024 Investigation

The panel has also asked whether the NTA conducted any independent inquiry into allegations surrounding NEET-UG 2024 apart from the investigation being carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Lawmakers are seeking details about the agency’s internal response mechanisms and accountability framework following widespread allegations of irregularities in the examination process.

The committee has additionally requested information about the NTA’s staffing structure, recruitment activities since 2022 and annual reports submitted to the Department of Higher Education over the past three years.

Another major focus is the implementation of reforms proposed by the expert committee led by K Radhakrishnan.

The high-level panel was constituted by the Centre in June 2024 after the NEET controversy and submitted 101 recommendations covering organisational reforms, examination security and governance improvements. The Parliamentary committee has now sought a detailed status report on the implementation of each recommendation.

CBSE’s Evaluation System Also Under Scanner

Alongside its scrutiny of the NTA, the Parliamentary panel is examining concerns related to the Central Board of Secondary Education’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

The committee has raised questions about modifications made to tender conditions during the awarding of the OSM contract and whether adequate due diligence was carried out before selecting the vendor.

Among the issues being examined are changes to turnover requirements, bidder eligibility norms, technical specifications and provisions relating to blacklisted companies.

The panel has also sought clarification regarding the selection of COEMPT EduTeck and whether the board was aware of alleged links between the company and Globarena Technologies, whose software came under scrutiny during the Telangana Intermediate examination results controversy in 2019.

Lawmakers have further sought documents related to OSM tenders issued in 2025 and details of actions taken following system dry runs.

Focus Shifts To Examination Governance

The extensive questionnaire sent to both agencies reflects growing concerns about examination governance in India.

From paper leak allegations and examination security protocols to procurement processes and digital evaluation systems, the committee appears to be conducting one of the most comprehensive reviews of the country’s testing infrastructure in recent years.

Sources indicate that the CBSE has been asked to submit its responses by June 8, while the NTA has been given until June 10 to provide detailed replies.

The responses could shape future reforms aimed at strengthening examination security, improving transparency and restoring public confidence in institutions responsible for conducting some of India’s most important competitive examinations.