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National Testing Agency
A Parliamentary Committee flags exam irregularities and urges the National Testing Agency (NTA) to expedite implementation of the Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Committee’s recommendations. The news focus is on NTA’s mandate and the reform recommendations related to exam security, fairness, and structural strengthening.
National Testing Agency (NTA) and Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Committee:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Institution type | The NTA is an autonomous, specialist body established to conduct entrance and fellowship exams for admission to higher educational institutions. |
| Established in | The NTA is established in November 2017. |
| Nodal ministry | The NTA is governed by the Ministry of Education. |
| Legal status | The NTA is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. |
| Purpose | The NTA is set up to relieve CBSE of heavy testing duties, which helps CBSE focus on school education, curriculum design, and academic evaluation. |
| Vision | The NTA vision provides for right candidates joining best institutions to realise India’s demographic dividend. |
| Key values | The NTA key values comprise quality, efficiency, equity, and security. |
| Functions | The NTA functions comprise identifying partner institutions with exam infrastructure; creating subject-wise question banks using modern techniques; building a strong research and development culture and expert pool in different aspects of testing. |
| Major exams conducted | The NTA conducts NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET-UG, CUET-PG, UGC-NET, and CSIR-UGC NET. |
| Committee formed in | The Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Committee has been formed in June 2024, after the NEET-UG paper leak. |
| Committee purpose | The Dr. K. Radhakrishnan Committee provides for recommendations on reforms for the NTA, focusing on exam security, fairness, and structural strengthening. |
| Recommended exam format shift | The recommendations provide for transition to fully digital tests and hybrid OMR model tests. |
| Recommended candidate security | The recommendations provide for Aadhaar biometrics and facial recognition via DIGI-EXAM. |
| Recommended center monitoring | The recommendations provide for strict monitoring through CCTV, mobile jammers, and independent presiding officers. |
| Recommended logistics | The recommendations provide for multi-stage exams to reduce systemic pressure and assigning test centres closer to students. |
| Recommended reduced outsourcing | The recommendations provide for strengthening internal test development and securing data. |