The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting significant examinations such as the JEE, NEET, UGC-NET, and CMAT, has recently come under intense scrutiny due to several controversies. Registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860, the NTA was established in 2017 as an autonomous and self-sustained testing organization under the Education Ministry.
The agency, led by a governing body and not governed by a parliamentary Act, is unique in that it is not subject to the rules governing government employees but falls under the Right to Information Act (RTI) purview. Before the NTA's inception, examinations were conducted by various government bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and central universities such as Delhi University and JNU. For example, the CBSE managed the UGC-NET and NEET exams until 2018.
However, since the NTA took over in 2018, it has faced allegations of irregularities and misconduct in at least 12 of its examinations. In 2024, these issues have escalated, with significant lapses coming to light. Reports of paper leaks in Bihar and Gujarat and arbitrary grace marks in the NEET-UG medical exam have led to nationwide protests. Additionally, the NTA canceled its UGC-NET examination due to compromised exam integrity and postponed the NEET-PG exam days later.
The government's response to these controversies includes sacking the NTA chief and forming a high-level committee to suggest reforms. Despite these measures, student protests against the NTA continue across the country. Experts have raised concerns about the NTA's structure and governance, emphasizing that it operates as a society without a general body, which may contribute to its challenges in maintaining the integrity and fairness of its examinations.
