Parliamentary Panel Recommends Pen-and-Paper Exams for JEE, NEET, CUET, UGC NET

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By Aakanksha, Tulsi

Dec 09, 2025

Aakanksha Singh

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education recommended the pen-and-paper test for the exams conducted by NTA, like JEE Main, NEET UG/PG, CUET UG/PG and more. The exams that are conducted in the offline mode, such as CBSE and UPSC, remain leak-proof for years, said the panel.

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Photo: The Indian Express

It criticised NTA for a lack of confidence in exam conduct. It also urged using the Rs 448 crore surplus from the past six years to strengthen in-house testing for JEE, NEET, CUET and other exams.

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Photo: The Indian Express

NTA, with all these delays, has caused a major concern as it not only delays the admission process but also the start of the academic session by the on-board universities, said the committee in its report. The NTA should conduct and release results on time.

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Photo: The Indian Express

 In 2024, NTA conducted 14 competitive examinations, out of which 3 examinations: UGC-NET, CSIR NET and NEET-PG were postponed. The NEET-UG paper was leaked, and the CUET results were delayed.

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Photo: The Indian Express

For the JEE Main paper held in January 2025, 12 questions were withdrawn from the final answer key due to errors. With such acts, the committee has observed that it does not inspire confidence and therefore recommends NTA to quickly get its act together so that such mistakes cannot occur in future.

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Photo: The Indian Express

Out of INR 3,512.98 crore that the NTA has collected, it has spent INR 3,064.77 crore, with a surplus of INR 448 crore in the past six years.

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Photo: The Indian Express

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