On 17 August 2026, the Education Minister Mr. Pralhad Joshi, announced a series of corrective and structural reforms at the National Testing Agency (NTA) following recent issues relating to examination administration.
The Minister held a review meeting with senior officials, including the Secretary, Department of Higher Education and the Director General of NTA, to assess the measures being undertaken to strengthen the examination system.
During the meeting, the Minister was informed that:
-
More than 50 staff members have been removed from NTA as part of the ongoing reform process.
-
NTA has advertised and is onboarding 10 new professional leadership positions, including Chief Technology Officer, Chief Finance Officer, CISO, General Manager (Test Security), General Manager (Research & Development) and psychometrics-related positions.
-
Domain specialists from the private sector are being brought in for cybersecurity, psychometrics, question-paper design and other specialised functions.
The Minister directed NTA to:
-
Strictly follow established examination protocols.
-
Implement a complete overhaul of the Confidential Operations (CONOPS) framework, including the use of secluded rooms, air-gapped systems and strengthened device-deposit protocols.
-
Implement the new security measures on a war footing.
-
Conduct a comprehensive audit of all examination processes.
-
Submit a report detailing the corrective measures undertaken and further reforms proposed.
