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House Panel Rebukes NTA, Seeks Shift to Pen-and-Paper and Stricter CBT Controls

The proposals seek corrective action rather than impose orders.

Overview

  • A parliamentary standing committee presented its report in Parliament criticizing repeated failures by the National Testing Agency that it said have shaken examinees' trust.
  • The panel recorded major disruptions in 2024 across five of 14 NTA exams and noted that 12 JEE Main questions were withdrawn in January 2025 after answer-key errors.
  • Recommendations favor pen-and-paper tests, with any computer-based exams restricted to government or government-controlled centers and not held at private facilities.
  • Citing a Rs 448 crore surplus accrued over six years, the committee urged using the funds to build in-house capacity, strengthen vendor oversight, and maintain a blacklist of errant contractors.
  • The report also called for timely CUET results to prevent admissions delays and sought an internal NAAC probe into bribery allegations, with findings shared for transparency.