In first remarks since cancellation of the examination, Pradhan told the press that the switch to computer-based testing was a recommendation of the committee constituted by the Centre in 2024 in the wake of a paper leak then, but this suggestion had not been implemented so far. The seven-member committee was headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.

“Compared to OMR, the CBT (computer-based test) is a little more protected… But cybercrime has become big… Even there, there are challenges, but we will have to trust the system. This can be improved,” he said.

“Despite following the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan committee, there was a breach somewhere in the command chain. We accept this. We take the responsibility to fix this,” he said, adding that “most recommendations” of the committee were followed, including those for conducting the examination like an election with the support of District Collectors and police.

In its recommendations, submitted to the Education Ministry in 2024, the committee had pointed to computer-based tests in multiple shifts as the “preferred mode” of examination, on the grounds that the pen-and-paper test “increases potential leakages” since it involves multiple third-party agencies that are involved in printing, transporting, and storing papers.

For the retest, candidates will get an additional 15 minutes, Pradhan announced, adding that this decision was taken after it was pointed out that some students lost time completing the formalities during the examination.

Read | 120 of 410 questions from NEET UG appeared in ‘guess paper’, probe begins in Rajasthan

With the NTA having announced earlier this week that the examination fees collected from candidates for the NEET-UG this year will be returned, Pradhan reiterated that the retest will be conducted without collecting fees from students.

“We take the responsibility of not imposing any financial burden on students. Students will also get to pick the city of their choice for the retest,” he said.

Pradhan admitted to the need for further reforms within the NTA. “We have received several suggestions for reforms. Reforms are a continuous process… That the NTA becomes zero-error, this is our responsibility, and we will do it… Certainly, there is a need for further reforms in the NTA. We have taken this seriously. We have fixed the loopholes that were found in 2024. Despite that, this unfortunate incident has happened. So, for sure, in the NTA there is a need for reforms. It will be reformed,” he said.

On the sequence of events that led to the cancellation of the examination, he said the NTA received a complaint on its grievance redressal system on May 7 that “in a guess paper there were questions that were in this year’s question sets”.

“This was discussed immediately and the NTA and the Higher Education Department did some preliminary inquiry and then handed it over to the agencies. Agencies in the states were also contacted. On May 8, the process began… In three-four days when there was clarity, and when we were able to confirm that in the form of the guess paper, questions were leaked… on May 12, in the interest of the students (the examination was cancelled)” he said.

Pointing out that “this is a long fight against exam-related mafia”, he said the Centre’s approach was of “zero tolerance” and “nobody will be spared, whether within or outside the NTA”.

Addressing candidates, he said: “We didn’t want that through the conspiracy of some mafia, a money bag steals your seat. We didn’t want this to happen, which is why we took this tough decision… We are all sad and worried about this incident… In the interest of larger goals and the country, we had to take this tough decision. The trust of students is our priority.”

While the prospect of a computer-based test for NEET-UG has been discussed in the past, it has not been implemented before. NEET-UG involves more candidates than other tests that the NTA conducts in computer-based mode – 22 lakh NEET-UG candidates against the JEE(Main) figure of 10-13 lakh candidates in a single session (it is held in two sessions in a year), and the CUET-UG figure of over 15 lakh candidates this year.

NTA sources said that the agency’s focus for now remains on conducting the retest and details of the computer-based test will be worked out later. With existing infrastructure, the agency can conduct a computer-based test for 1.5 lakh candidates in a single shift.