Stung by one of the biggest examination scandals in recent years, the Centre on Friday announced a sweeping reset of the NEET system—from shifting the country’s largest medical entrance test fully online to offering a free re-exam for over 22 lakh students affected by the paper leak controversy.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the government would move NEET to a fully computer-based format from next year as part of a broader crackdown on exam malpractice and the so-called “education mafia”. The announcement came days after the National Testing Agency cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination following confirmation of a nationwide leak linked to a circulated “guess paper”.

he government has decided to phase out the traditional pen-and-paper format for NEET and conduct the examination entirely in computer-based test (CBT) mode from next year onward. Officials say the shift is aimed at reducing the possibility of paper leaks, improving monitoring and tightening exam security.