Parliamentary panel to examine integrity of national exams, need for reforms

The review of CBSE will cover affiliation, regulation, examination conduct and its overseas ventures. (Express photo/ representational)

Amid concerns over examination irregularities and question paper leaks, a Parliamentary panel will examine the integrity of national examinations and consider reforms to the public examination system.

The issue has come under scrutiny following the leak of NEET-UG question papers for medical admissions earlier this year.

The previous Parliamentary panel examining the issue observed that cancelling NEET-UG 2026, despite measures taken to ensure the integrity of the examination, highlighted the need for stronger procedural and institutional reforms.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports will also review the functioning of coaching centres, including the regulations governing them, their enforcement and compliance.

The committee was reconstituted in September for a one-year term and has selected its subjects for 2026-27, according to a Lok Sabha bulletin.

The panel will review the progress of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, along with the functioning and performance of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE).

The review of CBSE will cover affiliation, regulation, examination conduct and its overseas ventures.

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The committee will also examine student welfare and support systems in school education, including health, safety, mental well-being, inclusive education and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Other subjects selected for review include the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies on education and students’ employability, as well as the implementation of University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and guidelines on the internationalisation of higher education.