Nandan Nilekani Panel’s NEET Report Due This Month,SC Seeks Permanent NTA Setup

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that the high-powered panel led by Nandan Nilekani to suggest structural reforms in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) has held exhaustive consultations and is likely to submit its first interim report by the end of September.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe that all suggestions had been placed before the panel. The panel also held consultations with members of an earlier committee led by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.

The bench directed the joint secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), who is assisting the Nilekani panel, to file an affidavit before the court detailing the steps taken so far.

The Supreme Court said the government should look at the institutionalisation of the NEET process and stressed the need for a permanent system. The bench said there should be a permanent setup, permanent staff and permanent verticals, with very little deputation, to create a permanent structure.

Justice Narasimha also said that he and Justice Aradhe would like to visit the newly upgraded facility of the National Testing Agency (NTA) to examine its system.

The Education Department has informed the court that a new upgraded system has been created. Mehta said permanency of the structure had been ensured, while human resources were only partially ensured at present.

On August 19, the apex court had observed that there was a need to institutionalise reforms in the NTA. It had directed the Centre to inform it about the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan panel and the Nilekani committee.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by advocate Tanvi Dubey on behalf of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA).

The latest hearing focused on the steps taken by the Centre towards strengthening the institutional structure for conducting NEET and implementing recommendations made by the two panels.

The Nandan Nilekani-led panel is expected to submit its first interim report by the end of September, which will provide the next update on the proposed structural reforms.