NTA reforms: panel recommends withholding rally permissions on exam days, amending 2026 Act

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, led by Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik, has recommended that district administrations withhold permission for rallies, processions, or public gatherings on crucial competitive examination days. The report, titled ‘Reforms and Strengthening of the National Testing Agency (NTA)’, was presented to the Rajya Sabha chairman on Friday, October 9, 2026, and after that published on October 11, 2026.

The recommendations aim to ensure smooth traffic and law-and-order arrangements, prevent external disturbances from affecting candidates, and address issues such as late arrivals and invigilator formalities during examinations. These suggestions come in the wake of a controversy involving the NEET paper leak and alleged administrative lapses within the NTA, which led to nationwide student protests and the resignation of then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Proposed Amendments to Public Examinations Act, 2024

The committee has recommended amending the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. This amendment would specifically direct district administrations to withhold permission for any rally, procession, or other public gathering on days when crucial competitive examinations are scheduled.

The panel stated, “Public rallies, processions, or large gatherings on the day of examination can delay candidates and cause them to miss their reporting time. The committee recommends that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 be amended to direct district administration to withhold permission for any rally, procession, or any other public gathering on examination days, and to ensure that smooth traffic and law-and-order arrangements are in place well in advance, so that no candidate is affected by an avoidable, external disturbance.” This measure is intended to ensure that smooth traffic and law-and-order arrangements are in place well in advance, preventing external disturbances from impacting candidates.

Addressing Late Arrivals at Exam Centres

The parliamentary panel noted that candidates arriving a few minutes late at exam centres are mostly denied entry, despite potentially genuine reasons for their delay. To address this, the committee suggests evolving a mechanism to allow late students entry into the exam hall.

The committee stated, “The committee observes that there are some genuine reasons due to which a candidate may arrive late at the examination centre. The committee is of the view that some mechanism be evolved such that students be allowed entry into the exam hall after signing an undertaking recording their late arrival and be allowed to attempt the exam only for the remaining time, with no extra time granted under any circumstances.” Under this proposed mechanism, late students would be allowed to attempt the exam only for the remaining time, with no extra time granted under any circumstances. The NTA has previously issued advisories asking students to reach centres in advance if events are planned on examination days.

Streamlining Invigilator Formalities

The committee also highlighted concerns regarding invigilators completing signing and checking formalities during the examination, which can disturb students’ focus. To mitigate this, the panel has recommended allocating a dedicated time slot for such procedures.

The committee is of the view that “a separate 15-minute window, before or after the test, be kept exclusively for such formalities and not in between the exam duration.” This separate 15-minute window, either before or after the test, would be exclusively for invigilator formalities, thereby preventing disruptions to students during the examination period itself.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →

Further reading

• NEET UG reforms: Parliamentary panel calls for NTA accountability, age cap review
• NEET UG 2026 reforms: panel proposes age, attempt limits, two-stage tests after cancellation
• NEET exam reforms: Nandan Nilekani panel consults K Radhakrishnan on NTA overhaul
• NEET exam reforms: Nilekani-led panel consults ex-ISRO chief Radhakrishnan on leakproof system
• NEET exam reforms: Nilekani task force consults Radhakrishnan panel chief on leak-proof system