Education Ministry forms 7-member committee to reform NTA amid paper leak concerns
- In Reports
- 06:05 PM, Jun 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Union education ministry established a seven-member committee on Saturday to ensure the transparent and fair conduct of examinations by the National Testing Agency (NTA). K. Radhakrishnan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the board of governors (BoG) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur, will chair the committee.
The formation of the panel comes amidst scrutiny of NTA following alleged irregularities in this year's National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate programs (NEET-UG), the cancellation of the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) due to a paper leak on the darknet, and the postponement of the CSIR-UGC-NET.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the government's plan to establish a high-level panel aimed at reforming the National Testing Agency (NTA), stressing the necessity for enhanced efficiency in its operations.
According to a ministry statement, the committee's mandate includes recommending reforms to the examination process mechanism, enhancing data security protocols, and reviewing the structure and operations of the NTA. The committee is expected to submit its report to the ministry within two months.
"The committee will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entire examination process and propose measures to improve system efficiency and prevent potential breaches," the ministry stated. It will also review the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols of the NTA, suggesting enhancements and implementing monitoring mechanisms for adherence across all levels.
Furthermore, the committee will assess the current data security measures of the NTA and suggest improvements. "It will scrutinise the existing security protocols related to paper-setting and other examination processes, recommending measures to bolster system resilience," the ministry added.
The committee formed by the Union Education Ministry will also recommend improvements to the organisational structure and operations of the NTA, ensuring effective implementation of its proposals and clearly defining roles and responsibilities at each level.
In addition, the committee will evaluate the current Grievance Redressal Mechanism of the NTA, pinpoint areas for enhancement, and propose measures to boost its efficiency, as per the ministry's statement.
The committee comprises several members, including former Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, Randeep Guleria; Vice Chancellor of Central University of Hyderabad, Professor B J Rao; Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras, Professor Ramamurthy K; Co-Founder of PeopleStrong and Board Member of Karmayogi Bharat, Pankaj Bansal; Dean of Student Affairs at IIT Delhi, Professor Aditya Mittal; and Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education.
Image source: ANI
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