NTA reform committee to take a multi-prong approach to stop question paper leaks and irregularities in exams

High-level committee formed to reform NTA after paper leak controversy, focusing on data security and exam processes.

The seven-member high level committee to reform the working of the National Testing Agency (NTA) constituted by the Ministry of Education convened for its first meeting on June 24 evening in New Delhi.

The NTA has been under the scanner after the paper leak controversy around the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical undergraduates broke out. Subsequently, other entrance exams like UGC-NET were scrapped after they had taken place due to “lack of integrity”.

The committee is discussing how to set up a solid process for conducting various entrance examinations end to end, a top source from the Ministry told The Hindu.

Headed by K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman, ISRO and Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT-Kanpur, the committee also includes K. Ramamurthy from IIT-Madras; Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS, Delhi; B.J. Rao, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Hyderabad; Pankaj Bansal, board member of Karmayogi Bharat, Aditya Mittal from IIT-Delhi and Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education.

Commenting on the issue, V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT-Madras, said, “Prof. Ramamurthy has been associated with conducting Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) from 2004 to 2006 in leadership positions. Also, Dr. K.R. Radhakrishnan is well versed with the IIT system and the manner in which examinations should be conducted.”

In two months, which might offer the time for ten sittings, the committee is supposed to come up with a clear manual to fix a data security protocol to prevent leaking of question papers.

The committee is also examining the processes by which question papers get printed, how printers are onboarded and how to train staff to follow due processes to minimise external participation, the source said.