NTA needs structural reforms to address exam security issues: Ex-UGC chief

The National Testing Agency (NTA) needs "deep structural strengthening" to address recurring examination-security concerns, but replacing the agency altogether may not be the most useful solution, former UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said.

Speaking to PTI, Kumar, Chairman of the Review Committee for NEP 2020, said the recurring paper-leak concerns should be viewed as an "end-to-end examination-security challenge", given the scale and complexity of examinations conducted by NTA.

The Centre recently ordered several measures to strengthen the NTA and examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak issue, which triggered widespread student protests culminating in resignation of a minister, and the subsequent errors in the UGC-NET exam.

The government has also set up a high-level committee under technocrat Nandan Nilekani, while a law on curbing unfair means in public examinations was passed in the recently concluded Parliament session to provide greater punishments.

"NTA ...