New Delhi — The central government has set up a nine-member expert panel to review the difficulty levels of the JEE Main and NEET UG exams. The move comes amid growing concerns that the exams have become tougher than the Class 12 curriculum, forcing students to depend heavily on private coaching.
The committee, headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, will examine whether the existing exam patterns place an unfair burden on aspirants. It will also recommend ways to make the tests more student-friendly and aligned with school learning.
At a Glance
- Govt forms 9-member panel led by Vineet Joshi, Higher Education Secretary
- Aim: Check if JEE Main & NEET UG are tougher than Class 12 syllabus
- Focus on reducing students’ dependence on coaching institutes
- Panel to study gaps in school education, role of career counselling, and exam alignment
- Members include reps from CBSE, NCERT, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, NIT Trichy, and school principals
- Move comes after rising concerns about coaching culture, including student suicides and poor infrastructure
Why the Review Was Needed
The decision follows a series of incidents linked to India’s booming coaching industry. Student suicides, fire accidents in cramped hostels, poor facilities, and rising complaints about the psychological toll of exam pressure have raised alarm. Educationists and parents argue that the widening gap between school teaching and competitive exam standards fuels the dependency on coaching centres.
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What the Committee Will Examine
Officials said the panel’s terms of reference include:
- Reviewing whether exam difficulty has drifted from the NCERT Class 12 syllabus
- Identifying gaps in school education, especially lack of focus on reasoning, problem-solving and innovation
- Assessing the availability and quality of career counselling at school and college levels
- Suggesting reforms to reduce coaching-driven inequality in access to higher education
Who Is on the Panel
Apart from the Higher Education Secretary, the committee includes representatives from CBSE, NCERT, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, NIT Trichy, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, and a private school. Together, they are expected to bring both policy and ground-level perspectives.
What It Means for Students
If the committee recommends aligning JEE and NEET more closely with school syllabi, it could significantly reduce the financial and emotional burden on aspirants. The reforms may also help restore balance between classroom learning and competitive preparation, ensuring a level playing field for students from diverse backgrounds.