India Today: New Delhi: Friday, 5th June 2026.
Nearly two years after NEET reform recommendations, an RTI reply sought by India Today has raised questions over how much has actually been implemented, as NTA says it has no consolidated record of progress despite public claims of major reforms.
Nearly two years after a
high-level committee submitted 101 recommendations to overhaul the National
Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET controversy, an RTI reply has revealed
a key gap in the system: the agency does not have a consolidated, point-wise
record showing what has actually been implemented.
The disclosure has raised fresh questions over how NEET reforms are being tracked, especially at a time when multiple authorities have publicly claimed that a large portion of the recommendations have already been carried out.
WHAT NTA SAID IN THE RTI REPLY
In response to an RTI query filed by India Today, the NTA said that it does not have a finalised, consolidated document that shows the implementation status of each of the 101 recommendations made by the K Radhakrishnan Committee.
The RTI reply stated, "K. Radhakrishnan Committee recommendations are under various stages of examination and implementation. The process of implementation is ongoing and involves coordination among multiple stakeholders, technical agencies, and examination authorities. A finalised and consolidated point-wise status report indicating completion of implementation of each recommendation has not been prepared as on date."
It clearly stated that a point-wise status report mapping each recommendation to its implementation stage has not been prepared.
Because such a document does not exist in the requested format, the NTA said the information could not be provided under the RTI Act.
It added, "Accordingly, the information sought is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the requested information cannot be furnished under the RTI Act, 2005."
NO CLEAR TRACKING SYSTEM
The RTI reply also indicates that there is no single public tracker or consolidated report that shows which reforms have been completed, which remain pending, and what timelines are being followed.
This includes key areas such as improvements in question paper security, systems for transport and storage of exam materials, and reforms related to computer-based or hybrid examination models.
In short, while implementation is said to be ongoing, there is no structured document available that breaks down progress item by item.
CLAIMS OF PROGRESS FROM OFFICIALS
The RTI response comes in contrast with repeated public statements from senior officials and institutions.
Former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, said that a majority of the 101 recommendations had either been implemented or were under active execution.
These reforms reportedly include Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, multi-layer frisking at exam centres, expanded CCTV surveillance, use of mobile signal jammers, state-level coordination committees, and deployment of data analytics tools to detect suspicious examination patterns.
He also noted that a gradual shift towards computer-based testing for NEET is part of the long-term reform roadmap.
Earlier, a parliamentary standing committee was reportedly informed that around 75 per cent of the recommendations had already been implemented.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also publicly stated that around 70 per cent of the reforms have been implemented, while acknowledging that there had been a breach in the command chain and corrective steps are underway.
THE MISSING DOCUMENT
Despite these repeated claims, the RTI reply suggests that the NTA does not maintain any consolidated, publicly accessible document that matches each recommendation with its exact implementation status.
This means there is currently no official record available that clearly shows what has been completed, what is pending, and where delays exist in the reform process.
TRANSPARENCY QUESTION REMAINS
While the NTA maintains that the reform process is ongoing, the RTI response leaves an important question unanswered: If 70 to 75 per cent of the recommendations have truly been implemented, as claimed publicly, why is there still no verified, point-wise record showing exactly what has been done and what remains pending?
Nearly two years after NEET reform recommendations, an RTI reply sought by India Today has raised questions over how much has actually been implemented, as NTA says it has no consolidated record of progress despite public claims of major reforms.
The disclosure has raised fresh questions over how NEET reforms are being tracked, especially at a time when multiple authorities have publicly claimed that a large portion of the recommendations have already been carried out.
WHAT NTA SAID IN THE RTI REPLY
In response to an RTI query filed by India Today, the NTA said that it does not have a finalised, consolidated document that shows the implementation status of each of the 101 recommendations made by the K Radhakrishnan Committee.
The RTI reply stated, "K. Radhakrishnan Committee recommendations are under various stages of examination and implementation. The process of implementation is ongoing and involves coordination among multiple stakeholders, technical agencies, and examination authorities. A finalised and consolidated point-wise status report indicating completion of implementation of each recommendation has not been prepared as on date."
It clearly stated that a point-wise status report mapping each recommendation to its implementation stage has not been prepared.
Because such a document does not exist in the requested format, the NTA said the information could not be provided under the RTI Act.
It added, "Accordingly, the information sought is not available in the form requested. Therefore, the requested information cannot be furnished under the RTI Act, 2005."
NO CLEAR TRACKING SYSTEM
The RTI reply also indicates that there is no single public tracker or consolidated report that shows which reforms have been completed, which remain pending, and what timelines are being followed.
This includes key areas such as improvements in question paper security, systems for transport and storage of exam materials, and reforms related to computer-based or hybrid examination models.
In short, while implementation is said to be ongoing, there is no structured document available that breaks down progress item by item.
CLAIMS OF PROGRESS FROM OFFICIALS
The RTI response comes in contrast with repeated public statements from senior officials and institutions.
Former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, said that a majority of the 101 recommendations had either been implemented or were under active execution.
These reforms reportedly include Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, multi-layer frisking at exam centres, expanded CCTV surveillance, use of mobile signal jammers, state-level coordination committees, and deployment of data analytics tools to detect suspicious examination patterns.
He also noted that a gradual shift towards computer-based testing for NEET is part of the long-term reform roadmap.
Earlier, a parliamentary standing committee was reportedly informed that around 75 per cent of the recommendations had already been implemented.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also publicly stated that around 70 per cent of the reforms have been implemented, while acknowledging that there had been a breach in the command chain and corrective steps are underway.
THE MISSING DOCUMENT
Despite these repeated claims, the RTI reply suggests that the NTA does not maintain any consolidated, publicly accessible document that matches each recommendation with its exact implementation status.
This means there is currently no official record available that clearly shows what has been completed, what is pending, and where delays exist in the reform process.
TRANSPARENCY QUESTION REMAINS
While the NTA maintains that the reform process is ongoing, the RTI response leaves an important question unanswered: If 70 to 75 per cent of the recommendations have truly been implemented, as claimed publicly, why is there still no verified, point-wise record showing exactly what has been done and what remains pending?
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