Education Ministry Initiates Overhaul of National Testing Agency

The Union education ministry has formed a high-level seven-member panel to suggest reforms and review the functioning of the National Testing Agency. The panel, led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, aims to ensure transparent and fair examinations, addressing data security and irregularities within two months.

The Union education ministry has convened a high-level panel to recommend changes and assess the National Testing Agency's (NTA) operations. Sources revealed the panel's inaugural meeting is set for Monday.

In response to controversies surrounding competitive exams, the ministry announced a seven-member committee led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan on Saturday. The committee's mandate includes ensuring transparent and fair exams through the NTA.

Rapid action is anticipated, with the panel's first meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The committee aims to deliver its report within two months, implementing reforms by the next exam cycle. It will also provide input on the exam calendar. Recommendations will target examination processes, data security, and NTA's structure.

Joining Radhakrishnan are esteemed figures like former AIIMS-Delhi director Randeep Guleria, University of Hyderabad's Vice-Chancellor BJ Rao, IIT-Madras professor emeritus K Ramamurthy, People Strong co-founder Pankaj Bansal, IIT-Delhi's Dean of Student Affairs Aditya Mittal, and Education Ministry Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal.

The panel will scrutinize current security protocols for exam settings, enhancing the system's overall robustness.

This move comes amid scrutiny faced by the NTA over lapses in NEET-UG and UGC-NET. The NTA conducted a retest for 1,563 NEET-UG candidates after previous irregularities, and the UGC-NET was canceled following integrity concerns.

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