Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held a meeting with the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, the Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other senior officials to review measures being taken to reform the agency.
During the meeting, officials briefed the Minister on steps taken by the NTA following recent examination-related issues.
According to the information released after the meeting, more than 50 staff members have been removed from the NTA as part of the reform process.
The NTA has also advertised 10 new professional leadership positions, including posts such as Chief Technology Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, General Manager for Test Security, and General Manager for Research and Development and Psychometrics. The recruitment and onboarding process is underway.
The agency is also bringing in specialists from the private sector for areas including cybersecurity, psychometrics and question-paper design.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The NTA conducts several major national-level examinations, making the security and reliability of its examination processes important for millions of candidates. The latest measures are aimed at strengthening internal systems, improving specialised expertise and tightening safeguards around confidential examination operations.
Joshi directed the NTA to ensure strict compliance with established examination protocols and ordered a complete overhaul of its Confidential Operations (CONOPS) architecture, including secluded rooms, air-gapped systems and device-deposit protocols.
The Minister also directed the NTA to conduct a thorough audit of its examination processes and submit a report on the corrective action taken.
