NEET: Nilekani panel’s first report by month-end; SC plans NTA office visit

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that the Nandan Nilekani-led high-powered panel constituted to suggest structural reforms in NEET has held exhaustive consultations and is likely to submit its first interim report by the end of this month. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe that all the suggestions had been placed before the panel, which held consultations with the members of an earlier committee led by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.

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

It told Mehta that the most important thing in the matter is that the government should look into institutionalisation of the entire process to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

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'Will inspect NTA office', says SC

"You must know that permanency of the entire system is key. There should be a permanent setup, permanent staff, permanent verticals. Very less deputation should be there. Only then a permanent structure will come up," the bench told Mehta.

Justice Narasimha said he and Justice Aradhe would like to visit the newly-upgraded facility of the National Testing Agency (NTA) to examine the system. The education department has said that a new, upgraded system has been created. "Permanency of the structure has been ensured. However, human resources are partially ensured at the moment," Mehta said.

On August 19, observing that there is a need to institutionalise the reforms in the NTA, the top court directed the Centre to inform it about the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan panel and the Nilekani committee.

The apex 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).