The Centre has a new idea for NEET-UG. It might follow JEE’s lead. The government told the Supreme Court it’s weighing a two-stage exam format, similar to JEE Mains and Advanced, instead of the current single-stage test.

This came in an affidavit filed Monday. It’s part of the ongoing case on reforms needed at the National Testing Agency, following last year’s paper leak controversy.

Advocate Madhulika Upadhyay filed the affidavit. It was drafted by Arvind Kumar Sinha, an Under Secretary in the Department of Higher Education. The document laid out NEET-UG’s current security protocols.

It also confirmed the bigger question at hand: should the exam move from pen-and-paper to computer-based mode, and should that shift happen in one stage or two? “Presently under active consideration by all stakeholders,” the affidavit said.

A Task Force Is Weighing In

This decision won’t rest with one office alone. A Task Force is studying the shift. It draws experts from technology, space, intelligence, academia and public administration. Their job: examine every angle, Technology, Security, Equity, Infrastructure, Teaching methods, all of it.

NEET-UG Is the Last One Standing

Here’s what makes NEET-UG stand out. The NTA runs eight major exams. Seven have already gone digital. JEE Main did it. So did CUET for undergrads and postgrads. UGC-NET and CSIR-NET too. Multiple sessions, Multiple days. All computer-based.

NEET-UG hasn’t budged. It remains the only major NTA exam still run on paper.

Why NEET-UG Is Different

The government explained the holdup. NEET-UG isn’t like the others, it said. Call it one of a kind. The affidavit pointed to its scale. Its reach. The sheer range of options that follow, MBBS, Dental, Ayush, Veterinary, Nursing. Even its fee structure sets it apart.

The numbers back that up. Over 22 lakh candidates register each year. Most come from rural India. Most are women. “The figures and statistics of the NEET (UG) examination reflect its one-of-a-kind status,” the affidavit said.

Who Gets to Decide

No change will happen overnight. The Health Ministry runs NEET-UG on the government’s behalf. The National Medical Commission regulates it. Both need to sign off before anything changes. That’s the law under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

The government made one more promise. Candidates will get advance notice. Plenty of it. “So that any transition may be smooth, equitable and free of avoidable stress to the candidates,” the affidavit said.

One Reform Already Done

Not everything is still under discussion. Parliament already passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act, 2026. It toughens penalties for paper leaks and impersonation. The Centre listed this as proof it’s already acting, not just deliberating.

The Supreme Court takes up the case again on August 6. The scale of NEET-UG makes this a slow-moving decision, and the Centre knows it. Whether the court pushes for speed, or accepts this cautious, consultation-heavy approach, India’s biggest medical entrance exam finally leaves paper behind.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR