NEET Alternative: A New Assessment System Proposed by Ex-IAS Officers and IIT Director

A team of retired IAS officers, including former Education Secretary R. Subrahmanyan, and a former IIT director, Prem Kalra, has suggested a novel approach to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and other high-stakes exams. The proposal, dubbed the Continuous Assessment System for Admission (CASA), aims to replace the traditional exam system with a more comprehensive and student-centric approach.

According to the proposal, the new system would consist of eight quarterly tests, two internships, and a centralized entrance exam. The quarterly tests would account for 40% of the total marks, with the remaining 60% divided between social and professional aptitude (40%) and a final exit exam (20%). The quarterly tests would be conducted online, using standardized question banks, and would be proctored using Artificial Intelligence-based fraud detection systems.

The team has also suggested that students would have the flexibility to take the tests on any day or pre-assigned week, ensuring that they do not miss out on classes. The internships, which would last six weeks, would be conducted at select institutes, including IITs, NITs, and industries, to assess the students’ domain aptitude. The schools would evaluate the students’ performance based on their handwritten reports and display the marks on their websites.

The final exit exam, which would carry 20% weightage, would be conducted online at least twice a year, allowing students to choose their best score. The proposal also suggests that the summative assessment would be used to break ties in the merit list, and that supernumerary seats would be created if needed to ensure that no student is denied admission due to a tie-breaker.

The team has proposed that the new system would start from the 2024-25 academic year, with the first intake of candidates using this system in the 2026-27 admission season. Until then, all exams would be conducted as Computer-Based Tests (CBTs) using robust cyber security protocols.

The stakeholders in the revised system would include state governments, the National Testing Agency, and educational institutes, which would become permanent test centers. The proposal aims to bring the focus back on school education and school systems, and would strengthen school boards by increasing their participation in the assessment process.

The team believes that this system would provide a more wholesome assessment of students’ academic, social, and professional aptitudes, and would give them the opportunity to explore their chosen professions. For instance, students aspiring to pursue engineering could participate in tinkering labs, virtual labs, and robotics, utilizing the ICT infrastructure in their schools.

The proposal has been submitted to the committee constituted by the Centre to look into NEET irregularities and suggest exam reforms, chaired by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan. The team hopes that the new system would bring an end to the crisis caused by repeated leaks in major exams like NEET and NET, and the resulting distress to lakhs of students.