The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports is holding high-stakes meetings on June 1 and 2, 2026, to address critical systemic failures in India’s education sector. Led by Chairman Digvijaya Singh, the panel has summoned top officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the Ministries of Health and Education, alongside medical representatives.
The sessions aim to dissect the May 3 NEET-UG 2026 paper leak which affected over 2.2 million students and is currently being investigated by the CBI while mapping a transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT). Additionally, the committee will evaluate severe student grievances regarding CBSE’s Class 12 digital On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and scrutinise the controversial rollout of the National Education Policy’s three-language formula in schools.
Crisis in National Testing: The NEET-UG Leak and Digital Shift
On the first day of the legislative audit, the parliamentary panel focused heavily on the compromised security of national-level entrance examinations. Following the cancellation of the May 3 medical entrance test due to an interstate question paper leak, the committee sought direct answers regarding operational lapses.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has taken over the probe, recently arrested 13 individuals including a doctor and a coaching institute faculty member revealing a sophisticated network that distributed leaked question papers via social messaging apps.During the hearings, the NTA leadership maintained that the leak did not originate from within their digital systems. However, lawmakers pointed out critical institutional weaknesses, including a 25% staff vacancy rate within the NTA that forces a heavy reliance on outsourced personnel.
To protect the immediate future of the aspirants, the committee directed that the rescheduled pen-and-paper re-examination on June 21 must proceed seamlessly without disrupting the existing medical seat matrix or counselling calendars. Looking ahead, the panel reviewed infrastructure requirements to transition NEET-UG entirely to a secure Computer-Based Test (CBT) format starting next year.
Digital Evaluation Grievances: Auditing CBSE’s Marking System
The second day of the parliamentary review shifted the focus to secondary school education, addressing growing anxiety among high school students and parents regarding CBSE evaluation practices. The panel examined the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which was introduced to digitise answer script grading and eliminate manual counting errors.
The system has faced widespread criticism due to severe technical glitches on the post-result services portal, payment processing failures, and unexpected variations in student marks. To address these concerns, an expert team from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur has been assigned to help the CBSE fix the vulnerabilities. Parliamentarians questioned whether experimenting with a previously flawed digital model across the country has put students at an unfair disadvantage during high-stakes board examinations.
Structural Hurdles and Regional Resistance to the Three-Language Formula
The committee’s school education review culminated in a detailed evaluation of the National Education Policy’s mandatory three-language policy for Classes 9 and 10, which requires at least two of the languages to be native Indian languages. The central initiative has faced severe operational bottlenecks, notably a widespread shortage of dedicated curriculum materials. Because dedicated learning resources for the newly introduced third-language slots are completely unavailable, the CBSE issued an emergency stop-gap directive instructing Class 9 students to use Class 6 textbooks for the 2026–27 academic term.
Beyond these logistical deficiencies, the policy has ignited significant socio-political pushback. States like Tamil Nadu have firmly rejected the mandate, standing resolutely by their long-held two-language model (Tamil and English) and characterizing the central directive as an impractical administrative burden that overlooks local linguistic identity and compromises regional autonomy.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The unfolding crisis within India’s education and examination systems is more than an administrative failure; it is a profound breach of trust with our youth. Millions of students spend years preparing honestly, only to see their hard work undermined by systemic corruption, technical glitches, and hasty policy rollouts. Rushing structural changes like digital testing or multilingual mandates—without proper infrastructure or textbooks leaves young aspirants anxious and unsupported.
At The Logical Indian, we believe real reform requires empathy, clarity, and strict institutional accountability. Our educational systems must prioritize fairness and transparency as non-negotiable values, treating students with the kindness they deserve. Only through open dialogue between central policymakers, regional states, and students can we build an equitable environment that protects every child’s future and fosters social harmony.
Also Read: CUET Glitch Triggers Retest For Over 3,700 Students, Renewing Concerns Over Exam Preparedness
#BREAKING: A parliamentary committee will review NEET, NTA, and CBSE exam issues in meetings on June 1 and 2 in New Delhi, discussing exam reforms, CBT vs pen-and-paper format, OSM concerns, and the three-language formula, with participation from senior officials, NTA… pic.twitter.com/fZB02VGk6L
— IANS (@ians_india) June 1, 2026
