New Delhi, August 19: Central Education Minister Prakash Joshi held a meeting on Tuesday to review the operations of the National Testing Agency (NTA). He directed officials to ensure necessary security and infrastructure facilities for the smooth conduct of examinations. This directive comes in the wake of the cancellation of three University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exams due to discrepancies found in the question papers.
The UGC-NET exam is conducted to determine eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professors, admission to PhD courses, and Junior Research Fellowships.
The NTA faced severe criticism after errors were discovered in the question papers for the English, Commerce, and Sociology UGC-NET exams, leading to their cancellation. This incident has raised questions about accountability and intensified ongoing criticism regarding the organization of competitive exams.
Re-examinations for English and Commerce are scheduled for September 9, while Sociology will take place on September 10.
Following the minister’s instructions, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh outlined the steps to be taken, including a significant overhaul of the examination team. This will involve the removal of 600 experts and the inclusion of new specialists.
Additionally, a four-tier question paper checking system will be implemented to strengthen the examination paper review process. In the next two to three weeks, 20 to 25 officials will also be added to the team.
A statement from the ministry indicated that plans to involve more personnel were also reviewed. It was mentioned that the NTA office would be relocated urgently to a new site, where security would be enhanced in collaboration with CISF teams.
This controversy arose following the leak of the NEET-UG 2026 exam paper, which led to widespread protests and its subsequent cancellation. The nationwide demonstrations ultimately forced the then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.
The current minister has already instructed the NTA to implement significant changes in its confidential operational framework and conduct an audit of its examination system on a war footing. Over 50 staff members have already been removed as part of these efforts to address system deficiencies.
The agency is also hiring domain experts from the private sector for cybersecurity, psychometrics, and question-paper design.
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