The National Testing Agency (NTA) maintains an unclear and often conflicting stance on whether its major entrance exams, JEE Main and NEET UG, are based on NCERT textbooks. This inconsistency creates significant confusion for students preparing for engineering and medical admissions nationwide. Recent court cases and Right to Information (RTI) queries highlight the lack of a definitive reference source for these high-stakes tests.
NTA’s Conflicting Statements
In June 2024, responding to a plea challenging NEET UG questions, the NTA explicitly stated it does not prescribe any particular textbook. It affirmed adherence only to the National Medical Commission (NMC) curriculum. However, an earlier RTI response seeking reference materials for question framing directed an applicant to refer to NCERT textbooks. A follow-up inquiry from the same applicant later received a “no such information available” response. These contradictory statements fuel concerns about NTA’s transparency and standardization.
Coaching Institutes and Student Perspective
Despite NTA’s official stance, coaching institutes widely consider NCERT books as the primary study material for JEE Main and NEET. Keshav Agarwal , President of the Coaching Federation of India, stated, “NCERT books, especially the biology one, are treated as the Bible. It’s understood that nothing is asked outside of it.” He added that deletions in NCERT texts were mirrored in revised JEE syllabi. Anil Kapasi , Managing Director of Arihant Academy, noted state boards like Maharashtra are aligning their curricula with NCERT. Some states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, have largely adopted NCERT content.
Impact on States and CBSE Students
The perceived NCERT alignment of NEET has drawn criticism, particularly from states like Tamil Nadu. A 2021 report from Tamil Nadu highlighted a significant shift in medical admissions post-NEET. The proportion of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students admitted to MBBS programs jumped from 0.39% to 24.91%. Concurrently, state board candidates dropped from 32.57% to 17.26%. The report attributed this trend to NEET’s inclination towards the CBSE (NCERT) syllabus, favoring students from private English-medium schools often following the CBSE curriculum.
NTA’s Operational Scrutiny
Established in 2017, the NTA, an autonomous body under the Union Education Ministry, conducts most pan-India entrance tests. Its operations have faced constant scrutiny, escalating with widespread paper leak claims and mismanagement during NEET 2024. A government-appointed committee, led by former ISRO chairperson K Radhakrishnan , recommended reforms. These included creating an “extensive resource library” for each subject, encompassing various textbooks and reference books.
Court Interventions and NCERT Debate
Courts often defer to NTA’s “subject experts” in answer key challenges. However, the 2024 NEET physics question case reached the Supreme Court. NTA had accepted two options as correct due to differences in old and new NCERT editions, citing 13,373 challenges. The Solicitor General argued for students using older books. The Supreme Court rejected two correct answers and sent the objection to an IIT Delhi panel, which affirmed NTA’s original key. Separately, before the Bombay High Court, NTA’s director stated under affidavit, “NCERT is not the only guide book for students appearing in NEET UG… There is no prescribed text book by the NTA.” This clarified NTA does not endorse a single textbook.
Need for Standard Operating Procedure
The anonymous RTI applicant cited NTA’s shifting positions, calling for a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for paper setting and grievance resolution. The applicant questioned the expert committee’s guidelines. The K Radhakrishnan committee also highlighted the lack of SOPs in NTA’s operations. Critics argue NTA misleads candidates and courts by not disclosing its answer-key policy, especially when NCERT books are the de facto study material for many aspirants.