The Education Ministry has initiated an organisational overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA), relieving 47 contractual staff members and announcing a series of measures aimed at strengthening the examination body’s functioning following the protest over NEET-UG paper leak.
The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA on May 3, was later cancelled after investigating agencies confirmed a paper leak.
According to sources, the Ministry is also considering legal and criminal action against some individuals in connection with the incident.
“Along with the removal of the staff, there will be a complete overhaul of the NTA. It could happen within a month,” a source said.
As part of the revamp, the NTA will recruit 20 professionals, including four General Managers on three-year contractual appointments, to strengthen key operational areas, an official release said.
While the Ministry did not disclose the identities of the relieved personnel, sources said all 47 were contractual employees across various levels. “All the 47 are contractual staff of various levels. Removing someone in a permanent job is a long process in a government organisation,” a source said.
NTA Director General Abhishek Singh declined to comment on the Ministry's decisions. The recruitment process for senior positions will be overseen by the committee headed by Dr K Radhakrishnan. The four General Managers will lead the areas of Assessment, Research and Development and Psychometrics, Test Centre Network and Operations, Information Security and Vigilance, and Investigation and Forensics.
The Ministry also announced the engagement of 16 young professionals through the Union Public Service Commission's Pratibha Setu portal, marking the first time the platform has been used for such appointments.
Further recruitment and empanelment across the 10 functional verticals recommended by the expert committee will be undertaken in the coming weeks. The NTA has also issued an Expression of Interest for the fresh empanelment of subject matter experts and translators.
