NE EDUCATION BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JULY 2
India’s fiercely competitive admission system for medical and engineering courses could be headed for its most significant overhaul in decades, with the Centre examining a proposal to accord 50 per cent weightage to Class XII board examination marks in admissions that are currently decided almost entirely by entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE.
- Landmark reform under consideration could fundamentally reshape India’s medical and engineering admission landscape
- Ministry panel proposes equal weightage for board examination performance and entrance test scores to reduce high-stakes pressure
- Adaptive on-demand testing, multiple attempts and school syllabus-based entrance exams among sweeping recommendations
- Proposal follows nationwide concerns over paper leaks, evaluation lapses, dummy schools and coaching dependence
- Final report expected shortly as policymakers seek to restore fairness, credibility and holistic assessment in higher education admissions
The proposal, currently under consideration by the Ministry of Education’s high-level expert committee, seeks to reduce the overwhelming pressure associated with a single examination while restoring greater importance to sustained academic performance in schools.
According to sources, the reforms are aimed at creating a more balanced, transparent and student-centric admission framework after a series of controversies—including question paper leaks, evaluation irregularities and allegations surrounding “dummy schools”—raised serious questions over the integrity of India’s examination ecosystem.
“The changes being contemplated are 50 per cent weightage for board marks in admission/merit, closer alignment of entrance tests with school syllabi to reduce dependence on coaching centres, multiple attempts and a gradual shift towards adaptive on-demand computer-based tests,” a source said.
At present, admissions to undergraduate medical and engineering programmes are determined almost exclusively by entrance examination scores, while board examination marks primarily serve as eligibility criteria.
Education policy experts have long argued that the current system encourages an excessive coaching culture, sidelines classroom learning and places enormous psychological pressure on students by making a single examination the defining factor for their academic future.
The reforms are being examined by the Ministry of Education’s nine-member expert committee, constituted in 2025 to study students’ growing dependence on coaching institutes, the mushrooming of “dummy schools”, and ways to improve fairness and transparency in high-stakes entrance examinations.
Besides recommending equal emphasis on board examinations and entrance tests, the committee is also understood to have favoured bringing entrance examinations into closer alignment with school curricula. Such a move is expected to strengthen classroom education, reduce reliance on expensive coaching institutions and encourage conceptual learning rather than rote preparation.
Another key recommendation under consideration is the gradual introduction of adaptive, on-demand computer-based testing, allowing candidates multiple opportunities instead of depending on a single annual examination. Education experts believe such a system could significantly reduce stress, minimise the impact of unforeseen circumstances on students and improve assessment accuracy.
The proposed reforms also align with the broader vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates competency-based assessment, reduced exam stress and holistic evaluation rather than one-time, high-pressure testing. If implemented, the changes could transform the admission process for millions of aspirants seeking entry into India’s premier medical and engineering institutions.
The expert committee is expected to submit its final report to the Union Government in the coming weeks, after which the recommendations will be examined before any policy decision is taken.
