NEET UG to emulate JEE model, exams across six days, 1000 centres; Nilkeni-led committee submits recommendations

NEW DELHI: The Nandan Nilekani Committee finalised the guidelines for making the medical entrance exam NEET UG computer-based. The exam will not be conducted in a single shift on a single day. Instead, it will be conducted in 12-14 shifts over five or six days.

The JEE exam, in which more than 15 lakh students participate every year, is being conducted successfully in a similar manner. This will be set as a model. The JEE exam method has also received approval from the Supreme Court. The shortage of exam centres is a challenge for online exams. To solve this, 1,000 exam centres will be set up permanently under the supervision of state governments across the country.

The method of relying on private institutions to provide infrastructure for exam centres will end. A central network will be set up in coordination with state governments. On July 27, the Prime Minister announced a six-member high-level committee headed by Nilekani to reform and secure the public exam system. Though there is time until the end of October, the committee decided to submit its recommendations a month in advance. The goal is to make the next exam computer-based.

Public suggestions welcome

The committee has sought suggestions from the public on the examination procedure, data security, infrastructure of examination centres and question paper security. Students, parents, teachers, educational institutions, examination agencies, technical experts, industry and voluntary organisations are eligible to submit comments in English, Hindi and regional languages. The last date is September 13.