Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 25: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has terminated the services of 47 officials as part of a major restructuring exercise amid the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, with more disciplinary and legal action expected, sources said on Friday.
According to sources, the agency is also planning criminal and legal proceedings against some officials as part of its overhaul. Further reform measures are expected in the coming months, including revamping the outsourcing model adopted by the NTA. The agency has also issued advertisements to fill vacant posts.
The NTA is responsible for conducting several national-level entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main), Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG and PG), University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), National Common Entrance Test (NCET), National Teachers' Eligibility Test (NTET), and the ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission (AIEEA-PG).
The agency has been under intense scrutiny following the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, prompting widespread demands for reforms. Several opposition parties and student groups have also sought the dissolution of the NTA, alleging repeated failures in conducting examinations fairly. The Centre, however, has maintained that there is no proposal to scrap the agency.
The action against NTA officials comes hours after the Union Cabinet approved a draft Bill proposing stricter punishment for paper leak offences.
The proposed legislation, which will amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, is expected to be introduced in Parliament next week. It provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 10 crore for those involved in organised paper leak rackets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier described paper leak incidents as deeply painful and assured strict action against those responsible. He said the government acted swiftly to ensure that students did not lose an academic year by conducting the NEET re-examination.
"The guilty have been caught and are now in jail. Our biggest responsibility was to ensure that students did not lose a year. By using all available resources, the government ensured that 22 lakh students could appear for the re-examination," the Prime Minister had said.