Rebuilding trust the real challenge, says IIT Madras director in exam task force

Published 28 July 2026 · local

Mumbai: The paper leak for India's undergraduate medical entrance examination, the 2026 Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), exposed a vulnerability few had anticipated: from the question paper

Mumbai: The paper leak for India's undergraduate medical entrance examination, the 2026 Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), exposed a vulnerability few had anticipated: from the question paper setters, not the distribution process. V. Kamakoti, director at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and a member of the Centre's examination reforms task force, says the focus now is on tightening the vetting of paper setters, expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) in surveillance, and examining whether NEET should move to multiple computer-based test sessions like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) does for engineering courses. But beyond technology, rebuilding trust remains the toughest challenge, says the professor in an interview with Mint. Edited excerpts Q. The NEET paper was reportedly leaked from the setter's side, not during distribution. What's your view on the weakest link in preventing leaks? It's now clear that the question paper was leaked by the people involved in setting the paper. Unlike in 2024, wherein, as reported by the investigating agencies, the leak happened after the paper was printed. Following that, the Dr Radhakrishnan Committee was set up that gave over 250 recommendations. The NTA (Testing Agency) implemented many of these, which is why, in the 3 May 2026 exam, the leak did not happen after the paper left NTA premises; it was printed, boxed, and delivered to the exam venue without incident.

Also Read | Coaching hub Kota edgy this season as NEET row rages on This time in 2026, the leak happened earlier, by the question paper setters. The foundation of trust for any competitive examination rests on two things: the question paper setters and the investigators. If either is compromised, the entire system collapses, and one of them is exactly what happened in 2026. The biggest challenge before the task force now is addressing these two points immediately, since the next exam season begins in December 2026. Q. Has the new task force been given a timeline for its recommendations? The first meeting will happen in August. We need to suggest short-term, medium-term, and long-term horizons, and it may take about two months to produce an initial framework. I believe that the committee will ultimately agree on a framework applicable not just to one exam, but to the entire examination process—one that ensures exams are conducted in a robust, transparent and risk-proof manner. Q. What other technology can be used in exams such as these? A great deal of technology has already gone into examinations. When I took JEE, it was entirely paper and pen. From there, we moved to OMR sheets read by optical scanners, then image scanners, and eventually to computer-based testing. Today, we use multiple layers of technology—biometric verification, encryption, handwriting detectors, and detectors for cell phone activity, among others—to ensure exams are conducted securely.