The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has written to state-run technical universities and AICTE-approved government institutions, asking them to submit details of their computer and infrastructure facilities. The exercise, carried out at the request of the National Testing Agency (NTA), aims to identify institutions that can host Standard Testing Centres (STCs) for computer-based exams. It comes as NTA prepares to shift NEET-UG to computer-based test (CBT) mode from 2027. Institutions have been given until September 15 to submit their details.
Key Highlights
- AICTE has asked government institutions to share IT infrastructure and space details for possible NTA testing centres.
- The exercise supports NTA’s plan to widen its computer-based testing network ahead of NEET-UG’s shift to CBT mode from 2027.
- Institutions must report the number of functional computers, networking and internet connectivity, power backup, CCTV coverage, and available space.
- The submission deadline for institutions is September 15.
- Only state-run technical universities and AICTE-approved government colleges have been approached; private institutions are not part of this exercise.
- The move follows the cancellation of the May 3, 2026, NEET-UG exam after a paper leak, and a pen-and-paper re-examination held on June 21, 2026.
- Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced in May 2026 that NEET-UG would move to computer-based mode from 2027.
- NTA told the Supreme Court in May 2026 that the new format would include multi-session, multi-stage testing, planned in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Why AICTE Is Collecting This Data
NTA wants to build its own network of testing centres instead of depending on private vendors to arrange exam venues. A senior official cited by news reports said CBT centres “cannot be outsourced to small private players and have to be chosen after assessment on strict parameters.” Government institutions with existing computer labs and space offer a ready-made option that NTA can vet directly.
The assessment will help NTA judge how many government sites across the country can be upgraded into permanent or semi-permanent testing centres. This is a preparatory step. No final list of centres has been announced yet.
What Information Institutions Must Submit
AICTE has asked institutions to report:
- The number of functional computers available on campus
- IT infrastructure and internal networking capacity
- Internet connectivity, including bandwidth and reliability
- Power backup arrangements
- CCTV coverage
- Vacant or underused space that could be converted into an exam hall
Institutions have been told to ensure that whatever they submit is accurate and verified before sending it in, since NTA will use this data to shortlist sites for further inspection.
Why NEET-UG Is Moving to Computer-Based Testing
NEET-UG remains the only major national-level exam that NTA still conducts on pen and paper; its other exams, including JEE Main and UGC NET, already run in CBT mode. That is set to change after a paper leak forced the cancellation of the May 3, 2026, NEET-UG exam, which was rescheduled and held again on June 21, 2026, in the original pen-and-paper format.
Following the cancellation, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said NEET-UG would shift to computer-based mode starting in 2027. Weeks later, NTA told the Supreme Court, which was hearing petitions related to the paper leak, that it was preparing to conduct the exam in CBT mode from the next cycle, using a multi-session and multi-stage format developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The current infrastructure survey through AICTE is part of the groundwork for that transition.
Official Website and Important Links
- National Testing Agency: nta.ac.in
- All India Council for Technical Education: aicte-india.org
