Speculations JEE Main, other CBTs may return to pen-paper mode
Speculations are rife that JEE Main, CUET, UGC NET and other entrance tests may be held in pen-paper mode after a Parliamentary Panel flagged the Computer based Tests (CBTs) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
New Delhi: Speculations are rife that JEE Main, CUET, UGC NET and other entrance tests may be held in pen-paper mode after a Parliamentary Panel flagged the Computer based Tests (CBTs) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The NTA is currently conducting major examinations including the JEE (Main) for admission to undergraduate engineering programs in the IITs, NITs and other prestigious engineering institutions and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) for undergraduate medical college admissions.
Besides, the NTA is also conducting CUET (UG/PG), UGC NET, CSIR UGC NET, All India Sainik School Entrance Exam (AISSEE) and other entrance exams mandatory for admission in different courses.
The All Party Parliamentary Committee headed by Digvijaya Singh in its report tabled in the Parliament on December 08, 2025 came down heavily on the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the manner it is conducting the important exams and entrance tests.
“NTA has lost trust”
“It has been brought to the notice of the Committee that in 2024 alone, of the 14 competitive examinations conducted by the NTA, at least 5 faced major issues. As a result, 3 examinations viz. UGC-NET, CSIR-NET and NEET-PG had to be postponed. One examination viz. NEET-UG saw instances of paper leaks, and one examination i.e CUET ( UG/PG) saw its results postponed,” the Committee said in its report.
The report further said that in JEE Main 2025 held in January 2025, at least 12 questions had to be withdrawn due to errors noted in the final answer key of the engineering entrance exam.
The Committee in its report noted that such instances do not inspire confidence of the examinees in the system.
“The Committee, therefore, recommends that the NTA needs to quickly get their act together so that such instances, which otherwise are fully avoidable, do not occur in future.
“The Committee notes that several firms involved in paper setting, administration, and correction have been blacklisted by one organisation/state government but that this, however, is not impeding their securing of contracts from other states or organisations,” the committee said.
The Panel on Online Exams
The Parliamentary Panel in its report also questioned the flaws in the Computer based Tests (CBTs) or online exams though agreeing that in pen-paper or offline mode of exams chances of paper leaks are more.
Despite these concerns, the committee recommended a stronger focus on pen-and-paper exams due to the proven reliability of the CBSE and UPSC systems.
At the same time, the Panel advised that Online Exams, when conducted, should only be held in government or government-controlled centers and “never at private centers”.
“Between the two, the Committee supported a greater focus on pen-and-paper examinations given that there are several models of such examinations which have been leak-proof for several years – including the CBSE exams and the UPSC exams”, the Panel said in its report.
The observation of the Parliamentary Panel has sparked speculations that JEE Main and other exams currently held in online mode may return to offline and pen and paper mode.
How much NTA earns?
The report noted that in the last six years the NTA collected an estimated Rs 3,512.98 crore and spent Rs 3,064.77 crore, leaving a surplus of Rs 448 crore.
The committee recommended that this surplus amount should be used to build the agency’s capabilities to conduct tests itself, or to strengthen regulatory and monitoring capabilities for its vendors.
The Committee in its 364th report recommended that the NTA should produce not just an audited statement but also an Annual Report clearly outlining its activities in detail and submit the same to the Parliament annually. The Committee reiterates the same recommendation.
The committee also expressed concern at “the rapid expansion of private-sector coaching
centers for competitive examinations” in the country.
The report of the Parliamentary Panel titled “THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE REPORT ON Autonomous Bodies and Institutions- NTA, NAAC, Draft ICHR, ICPR, ICSSR, IIAS (Shimla) and Auroville Foundation under the Department of Higher Education”, has sparked wild debate on the functioning of the NTA and reliability of online tests.
The final decision, however, rests on the Union Government and on its response to the recommendations of the parliamentary panel. Till then all the talks of JEE Main and other CBTs shifting to pen and paper mode are all speculations.
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