47 Officers Of Testing Body NTA Sacked Amid Paper Leak Protests: Sources

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will be completely overhauled over the next month in a big move by the government following mass protests over exam paper leaks, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

At least 47 people have been removed from the testing body. Action will also be taken against some of them, sources said, without giving details about their roles or designations.

One of the key changes includes tweaking the NTA's outsourcing methods in order to ensure a leak-proof system, sources said a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced major steps such as fast-track courts to try paper leak cases.

The Centre set up the NTA in 2017 as an autonomous and self-sustained testing body to conduct entrance examinations for admission and fellowship in higher educational institutions.

A committee of experts will suggest the changes to refresh the NTA as a more efficient organisation, sources said. The NTA conducts at least 20 national-level examinations, including JEE, NEET and CUET.

The NTA revamp is part of a wider review of processes to stop paper leaks, especially after the massive protest led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) drew support from students and Opposition parties across the nation.

Earlier today, the government approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, including a fine of up to Rs 10 crore. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi.

The bill will amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 to raise jail term from five to 10 years and fine from Rs 1 crore to a maximum of Rs 10 crore in case of organised paper leaks.

While the existing law is aimed at curbing leaks, malpractices as well as organised malpractices in recruitment examinations like UPSC and SSC, and entrance tests such as NEET, JE and CUET, the amendment bill seeks to deal with organised gangs and institutions that enable unfair means in exchange for money, apart from protecting candidates from its provisions.

The CJP-led protest has been demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accountability for exam irregularities, reforms in the education system and Rs 1 crore compensation to families of students who died by suicide after the NEET-UG paper leak in May.

NTA Issues Advertisements For Posts

The NTA has issued advertisements for senior professional appointments at the level of general manager and separately opened a path to engage 16 young professionals through the Pratibha Setu website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

These measures represent the first concrete step in the institutional rebuild of NTA that is being implemented in line with the recommendations of the high-level committee of experts chaired by professor K Radhakrishnan.

Four general manager positions on contract, each for an initial term of three years, have been notified. The general manager, assessment research and development and psychometrics, will head the NTA's academic and measurement-science function, with responsibility for item banks, normalisation methodology, equating and calibration procedures, and pilots on computer-adaptive testing and AI-assisted assessment.

The position requires a doctorate in Psychometrics, Educational Measurement, Statistics or an allied discipline, with a minimum of 12 years of post-doctoral experience and at least five years at a senior leadership level in a national or international testing organisation.

For the 16 young professionals, the contracts are open for candidates who have appeared in the civil services examination and are on the Pratibha Setu portal, with 12 positions in academic research, two in legal research and two in finance and accounts.

The young professionals will be placed in the NTA's academic, legal, and finance and accounts units on a consolidated monthly remuneration for an initial term of 24 months, extendable up to a total of 36 months based on performance.