Over 37,000 Suggestions Received By Centre's High-Level Exam Reform Panel

NEET UG Exam Row: Some candidates have suggested establishing clear norms for any lapses, like the grace marks issue.

New Delhi: The Centre's high-level exam reform panel has received a multitude of suggestions, including the discontinuation of mark normalization, better communication for schedule changes, and infrastructure checks at exam centers, as reported by news agency PTI. Tasked with reviewing the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the panel, led by former ISRO chief R Radhakrishnan, has gathered over 37,000 recommendations from stakeholders such as students, parents, coaching institutions, school teachers, academic institutions, and career counselors.

Sources indicate that the majority of suggestions came from students. The panel's mandate includes recommending reforms in the examination process, enhancing data security protocols, and reviewing the structure and operations of the NTA, with a report due in two months.

"Some candidates have suggested establishing clear norms for any lapses, like the grace marks issue, so they know what to expect in various scenarios. There are also complaints about distant exam centers lacking necessary infrastructure," a source revealed. "Concerns about the normalization process were also highlighted, with some suggesting its elimination and others requesting more transparency to ensure scores are neither inflated nor drastically reduced."

The panel had invited feedback from stakeholders, especially students and parents, through the MyGov platform from June 27 to July 7.

Amidst scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the NEET and UGC-NET exams, the Centre formed this panel to ensure the transparent, smooth, and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA. NEET has faced allegations of leaks, while UGC-NET was canceled due to compromised exam integrity, both currently under CBI investigation. As a preemptive measure, the CSIR-UGC NET and NEET PG exams were also canceled at the last moment.

The panel comprises former AIIMS Delhi director Randeep Guleria, Central University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor B J Rao, IIT Madras Professor Emeritus K Ramamurthy, People Strong co-founder and Karmayogi Bharat board member Pankaj Bansal, IIT Delhi Dean of Student Affairs Aditya Mittal, and MoE Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal. They are also tasked with examining existing security protocols for setting question papers and other processes, with recommendations to enhance system robustness.

The Coaching Federation of India, representing coaching institutions nationwide, has proposed minimising the NTA's outsourcing of exam-related tasks, establishing an education task force, setting up a helpline for reporting irregularities, and conducting competitive exams at least twice a year.

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