The Education Minister of the Union, Pralad Joshi, has instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct a complete reorganization of examination processes and ensure strict adherence to established rules, amid continued intense scrutiny of the agency following recent exam-related issues.
Joshi held a meeting with the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, the CEO of NTA, and other senior officials to assess the measures taken by the testing agency to reform its examination system.
The Ministry stated in an X post that the minister ordered strict compliance with approved examination protocols, as well as the implementation of a complete reorganization of the Confidential Operations Architecture (CONOPS), isolated rooms, air-gapped systems, and high-alert device storage protocols.
Furthermore, it was mandated to conduct a comprehensive audit of all examination procedures and submit a report detailing the corrective measures adopted. Joshi took office as Education Minister last month after former Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following several weeks of nationwide student protests.
The agency informed the minister that over 50 employees had been dismissed and recruitment is underway for key leadership and specialized positions. Ten new leadership roles, including Technical Director, CFO, Chief Information Security Officer, and General Manager positions to ensure the security of tests, research, and development, as well as psychometrics, have been announced and are being filled.
NTA is also engaging private sector specialists in cybersecurity, psychometrics, test item development, and other highly specialized fields.
This reorganization follows a series of scandals related to exams administered by NTA, which faced questions regarding exam security and malpractice handling.
The agency faced accusations of test paper leaks for NEET-UG 2026, leading to the cancellation and re-testing of the exam. A new dispute also arose concerning the UGC-NET exam for June 2026, when candidates expressed concerns about question integrity. On August 16, NTA ordered re-tests in English, Commerce, and Sociology after an expert committee discovered numerous errors and repeated questions. The agency also encountered technical and logistical problems during CUET-UG 2025, including delays and malfunctions at examination centers.
These incidents triggered intense monitoring and negative social media reactions, as affected students highlighted the stress and financial damage incurred from retaking such highly competitive national examinations. This also led to protests by affected students across the country.
The agency came under particular intense scrutiny for the first time following the scandal involving the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024, due to allegations of test paper leaks and other irregularities. The Supreme Court, while considering this matter, required NTA and the Centre to disclose details of the leak, including how and where it occurred, the chain of custody for the test papers, and the steps taken to identify beneficiaries.
Established in 2017 as a specialized agency for conducting entrance examinations to higher education institutions, NTA administers several of the country's largest competitive exams, including NEET-UG, Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main), University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), and Common Management Admission Test (CMAT).