INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 16th May 2026

Summary of Important News Items Editorials-340

INDIAN EXPRESS DATED 16th May 2026.

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1.      NEET-UG paper leak and shift to computer-based testing

The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has become a major governance and education-integrity issue. The CBI arrested retired lecturer P V Kulkarni from Pune, identifying him as a source of the leaked paper, and alleged that he had access to the examination process through the NTA. The Education Minister accepted a “breach in the command chain” and announced that NEET-UG would move from pen-and-paper to computer-based testing from the next year. The logic is that physical papers create risks at printing, storage, transport and distribution stages. However, computer-based testing also needs strong cyber-security and adequate infrastructure because NEET involves over 22 lakh candidates. The government’s stand is “zero tolerance” towards exam mafias, while the larger gist is that India’s high-stakes entrance system requires institutional reform, technological safeguards, accountability and restoration of student trust.

2.      India-UAE strategic partnership amid West Asia crisis