Examine the challenges and opportunities in shifting large-scale national entrance examinations from paper-based to computer-based formats in India.

NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for nearly 23 lakh registered candidates, was scarred by a paper leak in 2026, after which the Centre informed the Supreme Court that a shift to computer-based testing (CBT) from 2027 is under "active consideration" [1]. The shift promises integrity gains, but relocates rather than removes the risk.

Opportunities

• Shrinks the leak window: a printed paper must be printed, transported, stored and opened at lakhs of desks; encrypted digital delivery collapses this chain to the exam hour. Reform of the examination process and data security protocols was the core mandate of the Ministry of Education's High-Level Committee of Experts under Dr K. Radhakrishnan (2024) [2].
• Curbs impersonation: biometric authentication and AI-based identity verification attack the "dummy candidate" problem, which OMR mode cannot address at all [2].
• Proven scale: NTA already conducts JEE Main and CUET in multi-shift CBT mode, enabling item banks, flexible scheduling and faster results [3].
• Statutory backing: the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 already covers NTA exams like NEET, JEE and CUET [4], strengthened by the 2026 Amendment Bill [5].

Challenges

• Infrastructure deficit: seating ~23 lakh candidates requires terminals across rural districts and multiple shifts over several days [1].
• Comparability of marks: different papers per shift force statistical normalisation, as in JEE Main [3]; where one mark decides an MBBS seat, this invites annual litigation.
• Digital divide: candidates trained only on OMR sheets, especially in low-connectivity areas, face the software as a second examination — an equity concern.
• Institutional, not merely technical: the Court has pressed for permanent NTA offices and a largely permanent workforce, noting reforms need about a year to become entrenched [1]. Insider access to question banks survives digitisation.

CBT is necessary but not sufficient. A phased rollout — beginning with hybrid delivery where terminals are scarce, alongside staffing reform, audited trial runs and penal provisions that clearly reach agency and vendor insiders [5] — can convert a technological fix into institutional accountability, securing equitable access to professional education.