The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured that the government is fully committed to conducting national-level entrance exams like NEET, JEE, and CUET transparently and fairly. Speaking on Monday at the NDTV Education Conclave, Mr. Pradhan emphasised that the government follows a strict zero-tolerance policy towards cheating and malpractice in these exams.
He highlighted that the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts these entrance tests, is currently undergoing major reforms to strengthen its functioning. The minister stressed that the goal is to ensure smooth and fair exams for India’s large student population.
India has nearly 30 crore students aged between 5 and 23, making the organisation of entrance exams a significant challenge. In 2024 alone, over 22 lakh students appeared for NEET, about 12 lakh for JEE, and nearly 15 lakh for CUET.
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Mr. Pradhan stated that despite past challenges, this year’s exams are being conducted successfully. “Last time, there were issues, but we formed a committee, identified solutions, and took action to prevent the problems from happening again,” he said.
Addressing concerns over irregularities in NEET, he said the government is actively reforming the NTA to make it more efficient and trustworthy. “In a country with such a large population, conducting exams can be difficult, but we are clear that we will not tolerate any unfair practices,” he added.
Join NEET News 2025 Explaining the need for internal reforms, Mr. Pradhan said that keeping officials in the same role for a long time can lead to misuse of power. He pointed to past changes in the Railway Recruitment Board as an example of successful restructuring. “If we make too many people permanent in one place, the chances of malpractice increase,” he explained.
As part of improving the NTA, the government has upgraded its leadership. Earlier, the head of NTA was of the Joint Secretary or Additional Secretary rank. Now, we have appointed a Secretary-level officer to lead it,” Mr. Pradhan said, highlighting the move to make the agency more accountable.
Calling the NTA an “evolving institution,” the minister said the government plans to equip it with qualified professionals and modern technology. The goal is to improve exam management and protect the integrity of the testing process.
