NEET-UG 2027 may remain in pen-and-paper mode as Nilekani-led panel gets extension

The extension means the reform panel will not finish its recommendations before NEET-UG 2027 preparations are likely to begin. Since the exam is held in May and planning starts five to six months earlier, there may be too little time to change its format.

The six-member panel, chaired by Nandan Nilekani, was initially given three months. Its tenure now runs until January 27, 2027. It is still consulting states and working to build agreement on examination reforms.

Officials therefore consider a full shift to computer-based testing before 2028 unlikely. The health ministry, education ministry and NTA can still decide how to conduct NEET-UG 2027 after reviewing infrastructure and other needs. The task force’s recommendations are more likely to affect examinations from 2028.

NEET-UG preparations begin at least five to six months before the May examination. If the task force is still finalising its report until January 27, 2027, there is limited time to adopt and test major changes before the exam.

The panel has conducted 18 meetings and more than 40 consultations, while receiving over 54,000 suggestions. It is also seeking agreement with states on infrastructure, transparency, board marks and examination arrangements. These issues cannot be settled simply by announcing a digital format.

Officials say a complete transition to computer-based testing before 2028 appears unlikely. The health ministry, education ministry and NTA may decide the 2027 format independently after assessing requirements. This makes the current pen-and-paper system the more practical possibility for 2027, with reforms potentially starting in 2028.

NEET-UG stands for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate. It is the national entrance examination used for medical admissions. The article places it at the centre of a wider debate about how India should conduct high-stakes examinations.

Its format determines how candidates answer questions and what facilities they need. A pen-and-paper test requires printed papers and physical examination arrangements. A computer-based test requires suitable devices, test centres and reliable systems. The choice can affect rural students, marginalised groups and candidates from different school boards.

That is why the debate extends beyond convenience. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka have raised concerns about infrastructure, rural access, transparency and fairness. Officials also question whether multiple computer sessions could use different papers while maintaining comparable difficulty. Any format must therefore support secure, consistent and fair medical admissions.

The task force is a six-member panel chaired by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. The Centre created it on July 27 to recommend ways to strengthen India’s examination system and prevent question paper leaks.

Its work has involved 18 meetings and more than 40 consultations with ministries and departments, according to the Centre’s October 5 affidavit to the Supreme Court. The panel has also received more than 54,000 suggestions and feedback from stakeholders. These figures show a broad consultation process rather than a small administrative review.

The panel’s mandate was initially three months, but the Centre extended it until January 27, 2027. The extension allows further consultations with states and efforts to build consensus. It also means the recommendations may arrive too late to change NEET-UG 2027, making implementation from 2028 more likely.

Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka worry that computer-based testing may disadvantage students who have less access to suitable digital infrastructure. The concern is strongest for rural and marginalised candidates, who may face difficulties reaching or using computer-enabled examination centres.

Tamil Nadu cited the 2021 Justice AK Rajan committee report, which said NEET had disproportionately disadvantaged Tamil-medium students, government-school students and state-board candidates. States also raised concerns about different school boards and the largely NCERT-aligned curriculum used by national examinations such as NEET and JEE.

Their objections are therefore about fairness, not only technology. They want greater consideration of school-board marks and mechanisms to establish equivalence among boards. Karnataka also wants states involved in examination decisions and represented in the NTA. These demands could delay any computer-based transition until concerns are addressed.

A multi-session computer examination must give candidates comparable opportunities even when they sit at different times. That requires enough functioning test centres, suitable computers and dependable arrangements across locations. Rural and remote candidates make the infrastructure question especially important.

Karnataka’s official highlighted the need to prepare different question papers for different computer-based sessions. Those papers would need comparable difficulty levels, so one session does not become easier or harder than another. Officials must also protect questions and manage the examination consistently at every centre.

These demands create a major operational challenge before any switch from paper to computers. The article reports that Karnataka considers the arrangement “very difficult” logistically. The task force is still consulting states, while the health ministry, education ministry and NTA must assess infrastructure and other requirements before deciding the 2027 format.

In a pen-and-paper test, candidates receive printed question papers and record answers physically. In a computer-based test, candidates read questions and respond using a computer. The difference matters because a national examination must work securely and fairly across many locations.

Computerisation can reduce dependence on printing, transporting and storing physical papers, which are important points in preventing leaks. But multiple sessions may require different question papers. Officials must then ensure comparable difficulty, protect digital systems and provide functioning equipment at every centre.

The article shows why neither format is automatically simple. Southern states worry about rural infrastructure, marginalised students and state-board candidates. Karnataka also questions the logistics of multiple computer sessions. The task force is examining these wider issues, and its recommendations may not affect NEET-UG until 2028 because the 2027 timetable leaves limited preparation time.