Parliamentary panel summons NTA chief over NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, reforms under scrutiny
New Delhi, May 19 (TNT): The parliamentary standing committee on education has summoned Pradeep Kumar Joshi, Chairperson of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi to appear before it on May 21 amid the widening probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
The meeting, chaired by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, will review the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation and the implementation of reforms proposed for the NTA and national-level entrance examinations.
According to sources, the panel is expected to seek details regarding the origin of the leak, the timeline leading to the cancellation of the examination and coordination between central and state agencies during the investigation. The committee is also likely to question officials over alleged security lapses and the safeguards in place for conducting large-scale examinations.
The move comes amid increasing scrutiny following the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3 for nearly 23 lakh candidates across the country.
The NTA had cancelled the test after reportedly receiving credible inputs regarding malpractice on May 7. A fresh examination is now scheduled for June 21.
Meanwhile, the CBI on Monday arrested another key accused in the case, taking the total number of arrests to 10. The accused, identified as Shivaraj Motegaonkar, is a professor and owner of Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) Coaching Institute in Latur district of Maharashtra.
Investigators suspect the accused to be part of a larger network allegedly involved in leaking question papers and facilitating organised malpractice linked to the medical entrance examination.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has meanwhile announced that the NEET-UG examination will shift to a computer-based format from next year in an effort to improve security and transparency.
Apart from reviewing the NEET controversy, the parliamentary panel will also hold discussions with representatives from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Infosys and Pratham on the impact of artificial intelligence on education and graduate employability.
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