New Delhi: A day after the NTA announced reconducting three UGC-NET papers, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi chaired a meeting with ministry and testing agency officials and gave directions to the NTA to revamp examination processes and submit an action taken report.
The Minister directed that strict compliance be ensured of the established exam protocols and also directed that a Complete overhaul of Confidential Operations (CONOPS) architecture, secluded rooms, air-gapped systems, device-deposit protocols be implemented on war footing.
The minister was also apprised of the steps taken by the NTA, including removal of over 50 staff from the testing agency.
Joshi was informed about the recruitment process initiated by the NTA to onboard 10 professionals like Chief Financial Officer and Chief Technical Officer, etc.
The testing agency also said it was roping in several more domain experts.
The minister, sources said, has asked for an audit report from the NTA of its current examination process and submit a corrective-action taken report.
However, there is no clarity if there was a deadline given for the report submission.
Earlier, a fortnight ago, NTA floated a 7.5 crore worth of tender for round-the-clock security at its headquarters and regional offices.
Meanwhile, following the cancellation of English, Commerce and Sociology paper of UGC-NET 2026, several students organisations, inclusion INC-affiliated NSUI staged a protest at NTA headquarters in Okhla NSIC on Monday and demanded scraping of the testing agency for its repeated ‘failures’ in conducting examinations.
Sources said, over 1.5 lakh students are likely to be affected by the NTA’s decision of reconducting three papers over numerous errors in the June examination which the agency acknowledged for ‘not meeting the standards of fairness’.
