Re-exam protests: NTA undertakes system overhaul, axes over 50 staff members

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has removed more than 50 of its staff members and roped in professionals for key leadership positions as part of measures to reform the overall examination system. The move came as the agency faced fresh flak over a re-test in three UGC-NET papers after finding errors in exam questions.

Several student groups, which held protests here following the Sunday night announcement of the retest, demanded that the NTA be scrapped as its "repeated lapses" have put students' academic and career plans at risk.

NTA sources, however, asserted that it had acted in the interest of students and said internal processes and protocols are being reviewed to ensure that all exams are fair and error-free in the future.

The agency proactively looked into the complaints and decided to conduct re-tests, with all corrective measures being taken in the overall interest of candidates and to strengthen the foundation of a more accountable examination system, the sources said.

Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, who was given charge after Dharmendra Pradhan had to resign due to widespread student protests over paper leak in the NEET-UG exam, held a meeting with the secretary in the Department of Higher Education, the NTA director general and other senior officials.

He was apprised of the steps taken by the agency in the wake of recent issues and reforming the overall exam system, the ministry said.

He was informed that more than 50 staff have been removed from the NTA, the ministry added.

Ten new professional leadership positions, including chief technology officer, chief finance officer, CISO, GM (test security) and GM (R and D and psychometrics), have been advertised and are being onboarded, the ministry said.

Domain specialists are also being brought in from the private sector for cybersecurity, psychometrics, question paper design and other specialised areas, it said.

The minister directed that strict compliance be ensured with the established exam protocols and that a complete overhaul of the confidential operations (CONOPS) architecture, secluded rooms, air-gapped systems, and device deposit protocols be implemented on a war footing, the ministry said.

The NTA has been directed to conduct a thorough audit of all exam processes and submit a report on the corrective actions taken, the ministry said.

Joshi later posted on X that the discussion focused on strengthening the education ecosystem through larger reforms, with emphasis on driving transformative changes and strengthening the foundations of India’s education system.

"We also deliberated on critical issues relating to school and higher education, with a focus on addressing key challenges and ensuring a more robust, responsive and future-ready education system," he said.