The National Testing Agency (NTA), the country's premier entrance examination body, currently has 24 officials against a sanctioned strength of 39 permanent posts, leaving 15 positions vacant, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Responding to a series of questions raised by CPI(M) MP V Sivadasan, the minister said the NTA has a total of 39 permanent posts, all of which are filled through deputation. Besides these, the agency recruits staff and officials on a short-term basis as per operational requirements.
"As part of strengthening the NTA, 16 additional posts, eight at the Director level and eight at the Joint Director level, have been created to be filled through the Central Staffing Scheme," Majumdar said in a written reply.
73 Contractual, 124 Outsourced Personnel Engaged
The minister said the NTA currently has 73 contractual personnel and 124 outsourced staff supporting its operations.
The contractual workforce includes one General Manager (Communication), one Senior Advisor, three Advisors, five Senior Consultants, 44 Consultants, one Senior Software Developer, one Office Assistant, and 17 Young Professionals.
The outsourced workforce comprises personnel such as data analysts, consultants, junior consultants, legal associates, and housekeeping staff, among others.
In addition, depending on the nature of the examination, the NTA engages field-level personnel, including observers, city coordinators, centre supervisors, and members of State-Level and District-Level Coordination Committees, in coordination with State and Union Territory governments, centrally funded higher educational institutions, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Navodaya Vidyalayas.
NTA Conducted 12 Exams In 2026 So Far
According to the minister, the NTA has conducted over 270 examinations since its inception in 2018, covering more than 6.6 crore candidate registrations.
In 2026 so far, the agency has conducted 12 examinations involving over 65 lakh candidate registrations, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026.
The NEET UG 2026 examination was held on May 3 at 5,432 centres across 565 cities in 13 languages. Following the Supreme Court's directions, the NTA conducted a re-examination on June 21, and the results were declared on July 16.
Revenue And Expenditure
Majumdar also shared the NTA's income and expenditure figures, prepared under the accrual accounting system and approved by the agency's governing body.
According to the data shared by the minister, the NTA's income increased from Rs 504.16 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 1,116.84 crore in 2023-24, while its expenditure rose from Rs 440.20 crore to Rs 1,040.96 crore during the same period.
