Yesterday, On 22nd June, The NEET-PG exam postponed, and the CBI will investigate allegations related to the NEET-UG exam. Additionally, the head of the National Testing Agency (NTA) has been removed, and a panel has been established to revamp the agency.
New Delhi: The Government of India recently took action regarding the leadership of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which has been the subject of significant controversy. This comes after several major national examinations, involving the futures of approximately 3.5 million candidates, reportedly mishandled. The government’s decision to remove the head of the NTA appears to be a response to the issues that arose around these examinations.
The announcement followed the government’s establishment of a seven-member committee tasked with thoroughly reviewing the structure, processes, and operations of the authority.
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Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remarked,
“The ‘top leadership’ was being closely scrutinized.”
The government announced on Saturday that it has replaced Director General (DG) Subodh Kumar Singh with retired IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola, who currently the chairman and managing director of the India Trade Promotion Organization (IPTO).
The official notification stated,
“The additional charge of the post of Director General, National Testing Agency, Ministry of Education has been assigned to Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, IAS (KN:85) (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Organization until the appointment of a regular incumbent or further orders, whichever comes first.” It also mentioned, “Shri Subodh Kumar Singh, IAS (CG:97), Director General, National Testing Agency, Ministry of Education, has been placed on compulsory wait in the Department of Personnel & Training.”
Pradhan reiterated his earlier comments from the week, acknowledging what he termed as an “institutional failure on the agency’s part.”
He stated on Saturday,
“I have taken responsibility. Indeed, NTA’s top leadership is facing various questions. However, my priority is to safeguard students’ interests. I am their custodian,”
The NTA administers a variety of higher education and research screening tests, but recently, it has faced intense scrutiny. Allegations of leaked question papers, flawed scoring, and cheating have plagued the crucial NEET medical education screening test. Additionally, another significant examination for academic research recruitment cancelled after its questions surfaced on the dark web.
In recent weeks, students and political parties have protested the issues. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to face significant pressure from the Opposition in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Earlier today, the education minister announced the formation of a seven-member committee tasked with reviewing the protocols, structure, and functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and proposing corrective measures.
He stated,
“The establishment of this high-level expert committee marks the beginning of a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the examination process, eliminating potential malpractices, bolstering data security measures, and overhauling the NTA.”
The committee will be chaired by K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation and current chair of the board of governors at IIT Kanpur. The committee expected to submit its report within two months. Other members include Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS Delhi, Professor BJ Rao, vice chancellor of Hyderabad University, Ramamurthy K, professor emeritus at IIT Madras, Pankaj Bansal, co-founder of human resources consultancy People Strong, Professor Aditya Mittal, dean of student affairs at IIT Delhi, and Govind Jaiswal, joint secretary of the education ministry.
Saturday’s announcement followed the NTA’s decision to postpone the joint Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University Grants Commission (UGC) National Eligibility Test (NET), further fuelling the controversy over alleged irregularities in NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and UGC-NET. The latter cancelled on Wednesday, just 24 hours after it was conducted.
An estimated 3.5 million registrants have been affected by the issues surrounding these three examinations. As it stands, aside from 1,563 students who took NEET, the results for the additional 2.4 million candidates who participated in the medical college entrance exam remain valid.
Education Minister Pradhan refuted claims that the CSIR-UGC-NET exam postponed due to a paper leak.
He clarified,
“There was no leak in the CSIR-UGC NET; it was postponed due to logistical issues. Additionally, there will be a retest for 1,563 NEET candidates tomorrow to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination.”
The key issue involves the leak of question papers for the medical college screening test NEET and the research fellowships qualifier examination UGC-NET, but also extends to wider logistical issues and cancellations.
The controversy began with this year’s NEET after allegations surfaced that in one centre in Rajasthan, students appearing for the Hindi medium test got question papers in English amid reports of torn OMR sheets and delay in distribution of question papers. A case lodged in Patna, Bihar, over an alleged paper leak, after which the police arrested 13 people involved in solving question papers and supplying answers as part of a racket.
For weeks, protests swept across India and escalated after NEET results declared and showed inflated marking and arbitrary allowance of grace marks. The Supreme Court, which allowed NTA to withdraw grace marks to 1,563 students and conduct a retest for them on June 23, set to hear a raft of petitions on the issue on July 8.
On Wednesday evening, the education ministry canceled the UGC-NET exam, which saw 908,580 candidates at 1,200 centers. On Thursday, Pradhan revealed that the agency monitoring cybercrime for the Union Home Ministry informed the UGC at 3 pm on Wednesday that a specific UGC-NET question paper had been leaked on the darknet.
In a separate statement on Saturday, the ministry commented on the NTA, saying,
“The committee will analyse the entire examination process and suggest measures to improve the system’s efficiency and prevent any possible breaches.”
The statement also mentioned,
“The committee would “conduct a thorough review of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols of the NTA and recommend measures to strengthen these procedures and protocols, along with monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance at every level.”
The NTA’s organizational structure will be reviewed, and the recommendations will likely address the roles and responsibilities of functionaries at every level.
The ministry stated,
“The committee will also assess the current Grievance Redressal Mechanism of the NTA, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations to enhance its efficiency.”
Pradhan emphasized,
“I want to reiterate that no one involved or found responsible for any irregularity or discrepancy will be spared.”
Regarding an alleged paper leak during the NEET-UG exam in Gujarat, a senior ministry official clarified,
“It was not a paper leak but a case of organized cheating involving 30 students who have been debarred.”
Previously, the NTA had announced that 63 students across the country were debarred from NEET-UG for using unfair means during the exam.
The chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC), M Jagadesh Kumar, endorsed the establishment of a new committee aimed at enhancing the transparency and fairness of entrance examinations. Kumar highlighted the committee’s focus on recommending reforms in the examination process, strengthening data security protocols, and improving the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) structure and functioning.
He stated,
“The committee’s emphasis on recommending reforms in the examination process, enhancing data security protocols, and improving the NTA’s structure and functioning will strengthen our national entrance examination system. Protecting student’s interest and their future should be our priority.”
Meanwhile, opposition leaders have criticized the government for its delayed action in preventing unfair practices in competitive examinations. They argue that the new law enacted on Friday is a reactionary measure rather than a proactive one.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remarked on Saturday,
“On February 13, 2024, the President of India gave her assent to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means), Bill, 2024. Finally, just this morning the nation has been told that this Act has come into force from yesterday, that is June 21, 2024.”
Ramesh further accused the government of implementing the law as a form of damage control in response to various examination scams, including NEET, UGC-NET, and CSIR-UGC-NET.
He added,
“Clearly this is damage control to deal with the NEET, UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC-NET, and other scams. This law was needed. But it deals with leaks after they have occurred. More important are laws, systems, processes, and procedures to ensure that leaks don’t happen in the first place.”
In conclusion, the postponement of NEET-PG, the removal of the NTA Chief, and the establishment of a new panel mark a pivotal moment in the oversight of India’s medical entrance examinations. The outcomes of the CBI investigation and the panel’s recommendations will be closely watched, with far-reaching implications for the future of medical education in the country.