NEET Old Scorecards to Be Available on DigiLocker Soon: NTA Informs CIC

NEW DELHI: In a major relief for thousands of medical aspirants across India, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced that a DigiLocker-based mechanism to retrieve previous years' NEET scorecards is in the final stages of development and will be rolled out soon.

This permanent digital solution will eliminate the panic students face when they lose their old scorecards years after appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG).

Why Is NTA Introducing NEET Scorecards on DigiLocker?

Currently, the NTA maintains a strict record retention policy. As per Clause 15.6 of the NEET Information Bulletin, the agency preserves examination result records for only 90 days from the date of the result declaration. Once this 90-day window closes, all data is weeded out from active storage.

This short window creates massive hurdles for medical graduates who require their old NEET scorecards years down the line for:

• Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) eligibility verification by the NBE.

• State-level NEET UG counselling and subsequent college admissions.

• Higher education applications and official employment background verifications.

The upcoming NEET DigiLocker scorecard retrieval system will act as a secure, lifetime repository for candidate marks sheets.

The Spark: RTI Appeal to the Central Information Commission (CIC)

This breakthrough development came to light during a recent Right to Information (RTI) appeal hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC).

A candidate from the NEET-UG 2020 batch had filed an RTI application seeking a certified copy of her old scorecard to submit to the National Board of Examinations (NBE) for her FMGE eligibility verification. Because the NTA had already deleted the 2020 data under its 90-day weeding policy, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) could not provide the document.

While Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi accepted the NTA's stance—ruling that public authorities cannot be forced to recreate records that legally no longer exist—the NTA used the platform to announce its permanent fix.

"The NTA is in the process of devising a mechanism with DigiLocker to enable retrieval of scorecards of previous years by the candidates so that the same can be provided after due authentication. The initiative is reaching its final stage and is likely to be completed at the earliest."

— National Testing Agency (NTA) submission to the CIC.

How Will the NEET DigiLocker Scorecard Download Work?

Once the portal goes live, candidates will no longer need to approach the NTA or file RTIs. The process will be entirely self-serve and digital:

• Aadhaar Authentication: Candidates will log into the official DigiLocker app or portal using their Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

• Document Fetching: Under the "National Testing Agency" partner section, users can select "NEET Scorecard" and input their historic Application Number and Year of Exam.

• Instant Verification: After proper authentication, the system will issue a digitally signed, legally valid copy of the old NEET scorecard directly into the student’s digital vault.