NTA Restructuring Soon: Testing Agency To Focus Only On Higher Education Entrance Exams, Says Dharmendra Pradhan Amid Paper Leak Concerns

From 2025 onwards, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will cease conducting recruitment exams and shift its focus solely to higher education entrance exams, according to a statement by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (17 December).

The shift is a component of examination modifications, suggested by a high-level committee established earlier this year. This was in response to the purported leak of the medical entrance NEET exam and a sequence of other exam cancellations due to potential leaks and additional complications.

Discussions are also ongoing between the Ministry and the Health Ministry to determine if the examination should be administered in the conventional pen and paper format or transition to a Computer Based Test (CBT).

"NTA will be limited to conducting only entrance exams for higher education and will not conduct any recruitment exams from next year," Pradhan told reporters. He announced that there will be a restructuring of NTA in 2025.

"The agency will be restructured in 2025, at least 10 new posts are being created and there will be many changes in functioning of NTA to ensure there is zero-error testing," the Education Minister said.

The Minister further elaborated that the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG will persist in being held annually. "The government is looking at moving to computer adaptive test and technology-driven entrance exams in the near future," he said.

"JEE would be conducted by CBT mode. The appropriate mode for conducting NEET will be fulfilled by the education department based on the demands of the health department. Our priority is zero error," Pradhan said.

In June, a High-Level Committee under the leadership of Professor K Radhakrishnan. There have been more than 30 sittings of the committee with police investigating agencies, focus groups of students, and senior officials of states and Union Territories.

The Committee has suggested making a Grievance Reporting and Redressal Cell. Taking note of the Supreme Court directives for student wellness and exam de-stressing, Pradhan said, "We will ensure that coaching centres are not exploited by market forces."

"The committee has given around 101 recommendations. Cybercrime is a big challenge. It has to be addressed dynamically. The committee has also spoken about NTA restructuring. New posts have been created and new officials have been employed," he added.