How to reform NTA and NEET

Turning the NEET online (like JEE and CAT), online proctoring tools, biometric checks, and ethical hacking can make our testing process better. The NTA could deploy Aadhaar-linked biometric verification and use facial recognition to reduce cases of impersonation in examinations

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET – formerly the All India Pre-Medical Test – conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is an entrance examination for admissions to undergraduate medical courses (MBBS), dental courses (BDS) and other similar programmes including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH).In 2024, approximately 2.4 million applicants enrolled for 180,000 seats, translating to a success rate of just 7.5%. Government medical colleges across the country offer about 55,000 seats, including 2,000 seats at the prestigious AIIMS – All India Institute of Medical Sciences – campuses, thereby making the competition extremely tough. Achieving a high score in NEET opens doors to extraordinarily successful careers in terms of pay scale, growth prospects, and repute. In recent years, there have been instances of unfair practices by students including cheating, impersonation and corruption, leading to paper leaks in NEET examinations. This year, the charges are even more serious, leading critics to question the integrity of the NTA itself.

NTA: Origin and mishaps
The NTA was formed as a society by the Ministry of Education in 2017 to conduct efficient, transparent and international standard tests to assess candidates’ competency for admissions. In 2019, the NTA conducted its first NEET, taking over the mandate from the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education). Unlike most of the other government institutions, the NTA has not been established by an Act of Parliament.Despite the NTA’s best efforts to conduct free and fair examinations, several irregularities and mishaps have been reported in the past. These include the NEET 2021 exam leak controversy uncovered in Jaipur, impersonation cases in Chennai in 2019, multiple instances of students using unfair means such as smartphones and electronic devices, and tampering with NEET OMR (optical mark recognition) sheets.In light of the unfortunate course of events that have occurred recently, below are a few suggestions based on the current best practices globally and domestically:

– Computer-based tests: Unlike the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and Common Admission Test (CAT), the NEET has remained a pen-paper examination, creating unnecessary loopholes. Digital examinations have yielded better results for testing agencies across the world. The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, established as a separate body in 2004 by the Ministry of Education in Singapore, has successfully conducted online examinations. To manage digital infrastructure challenges, the NTA could conduct examinations in multiple shifts using unique question sets.

– Implementation of online proctoring tools: At the University of Central Florida, rampant cheating among students became a problem in the Spring of 2020. In 2021, a study was conducted to verify if tools such as online proctoring can be used to decrease incidences of cheating. The student proctoring tool used features such as facial recognition, eye movement tracking, and keystroke analysis to keep a check on students.

– Biometric checks: The NTA could deploy Aadhaar-linked biometric verification and use facial recognition to reduce cases of impersonation in examinations.

– Centre audits: While it may not be feasible for the NTA to conduct audits across all its centres, it could conduct random audits at select centres to gauge adherence to protocols and anti-cheating measures.

– Ethical hacking: To further reduce cases of cheating, ethical hacking techniques could test vulnerabilities in the testing infrastructure. Ethical hacking has been successful in detecting bugs and threats in various instances. The US Department of Defense launched a ‘Hack the Pentagon’ programme which found close to 200 unique vulnerabilities.

– Stringent implementation of law: In China, after authorities became aware of cheating mafias in Gaokao (the Nationwide Unified Examination for Admissions to General Universities and Colleges, which is China’s equivalent of the SAT), strict anti-cheating measures such as banning candidates and up to seven years’ imprisonment were introduced, resulting in curbing such malpractices effectively. In India, anti-cheating law has recently been notified, stipulating up to 10 years of imprisonment and Rs 1 crore in fine. Effective implementation by the government is expected to yield the desired results.