NEET-UG 2027 could go hybrid as Nilekani exam panel gets time till January 2027
By TUF News Desk · Published 1 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
The committee reviewing how India runs its national entrance exams will get more time to finish its work. The Centre has extended the tenure of the high-powered task force on examination reforms, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, till January 2027. The panel was earlier expected to submit its report by the end of October.
According to a Times of India report, the Prime Minister’s Office wants the panel to consult chief ministers and chief secretaries before it finalises its recommendations. The reason is practical: gaps in testing infrastructure, connectivity and administrative preparedness differ sharply from state to state, and the report is expected to reflect those differences rather than assume one national picture.
A hybrid NEET-UG in 2027?
One idea under discussion is a hybrid format for NEET-UG 2027, combining pen-and-paper and computer-based testing. Stakeholders and experts have suggested it as a bridge. It would give the system time to build secure computer-based capacity before a full shift to computer-based testing in 2028, instead of forcing that change in a single year.
Another proposal likely to feature in the recommendations is a nationwide network of computer-based test centres, built by the Centre and state governments with private investment. The focus is districts that lack secure, properly equipped centres today, which is one of the main obstacles to moving a test of NEET’s size online.
The panel is also looking at what has been called debundling: splitting up exam work that the National Testing Agency now handles end to end, so that separate agencies take on question-paper setting, centre management and security. The thinking is that dividing the work reduces the risk of a single point of failure.
Why the panel exists
The government set up the six-member task force in July 2026 after the NEET-UG 2026 controversy, when allegations of a paper leak and irregularities followed the May exam. NEET-UG is India’s largest undergraduate entrance exam, with around 25 lakh candidates appearing each year, so any change in format reaches lakhs of students and their families.
Nilekani has separately argued for a technology-led fix: building a large bank of questions and generating each paper shortly before the exam begins, to cut the scope for leaks. He put that idea forward at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi in October. That is his proposal, not a government decision, and it would still need to be accepted and worked into the exam system before it affected any candidate.
What has not changed
None of this is a rule yet. The hybrid format, the test centre network and the debundling plan are all proposals under discussion, and the extension itself signals that the government wants more consultation before settling them. Until a formal notification arrives, NEET-UG 2027 aspirants should prepare on the pattern already announced and check the official NEET website and the NTA website for updates, rather than trusting social media posts about pattern changes.
When results and counselling come around, the choice of college matters as much as the rank, and our guide to choosing a university in India lays out the trade-offs worth weighing before picking an institution. It is also worth keeping documents ready in advance with the admission documents checklist, since the details on any form should match those documents exactly.
Frequently asked questions
Has NEET-UG 2027 moved to computer-based testing?
No. A hybrid format for NEET-UG 2027 is only a proposal under discussion, and no final decision or official notification has been issued.
What is the hybrid format being discussed for NEET-UG 2027?
It would combine pen-and-paper and computer-based testing, giving the system time to build secure computer capacity before a full shift to computer-based testing in 2028.
When will the Nilekani task force submit its exam reforms report?
The panel’s tenure has been extended till January 2027 so it can consult chief ministers and chief secretaries before finalising its recommendations.
Where can NEET-UG aspirants check official updates?
On the official NEET website, neet.nta.nic.in, and the NTA website, nta.ac.in. Social media posts about exam pattern changes should not be treated as official.
Frequently asked questions
Has NEET-UG 2027 moved to computer-based testing?
No. A hybrid format for NEET-UG 2027 is only a proposal under discussion, and no final decision or official notification has been issued.
What is the hybrid format being discussed for NEET-UG 2027?
It would combine pen-and-paper and computer-based testing, giving the system time to build secure computer capacity before a full shift to computer-based testing in 2028.
When will the Nilekani task force submit its exam reforms report?
The panel's tenure has been extended till January 2027 so it can consult chief ministers and chief secretaries before finalising its recommendations.
Where can NEET-UG aspirants check official updates?
On the official NEET website, neet.nta.nic.in, and the NTA website, nta.ac.in. Social media posts about exam pattern changes should not be treated as official.
Sources: The Times of India, NewsBytes, The Economic Times