What is National Testing Agency NTA
National Testing Agency NTA is autonomous agency to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher education institutions.
Responsibilities of NTA
National Testing Agency NTA is a government organization under ministry of Education. NTA is an autonomous agency under the department of Higher Education. It was established in November 2017. NTA is responsible for conducting national level exams for admission and fellowships in higher education related to Engineering, Medicine and pharmacy. NTA is responsible for conducting Exams and recruitment also.
History
National Testing Agency NTA actually start in 2010 under the Ministry of Human Resources Development ( MHRD) now Ministry of Education. A committee consisting of someof directors of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and submitted report for creation of NTA to parliament. This report mentioned that a statutory agency can ensure independence and transparency in the testing of magnitude that was being envisaged.
In 2013 the MHRD constituted a seven member task force to prepare blueprint for creating a special purpose for NTA
In 2017 Finance Minister announced in the budget speech of 2017 for NTA. And this was followed by Cabinet Approval. Vineet Joshi was first appointed by government as Director – General of the agency( NTA)
On 7 Jul 2018 former Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that the NTA will be holding the JEE Main and NEET (UG) twice a year as well as National Eligibility ( NET), Common management Test ( CMAT ) and the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test ( GPAT)
Administration
National Testing Agency NTA has governing body which includes a Chairperson, a secretary and 08 more efficient officials representing different national level institutes.
TEAM NTA
NTA will have a team of education administrators, experts and researchers with assessment developers. Success of all works of NTA shall be evaluated on the basis of their being able to achieve the purpose. Core Team members are Test item writers, Researchers and psychometricians and Education Specialists.
In future NTA will also undertake other tests to measure specific population’s content, knowledge and skills.
NTA will have huge repository of data of student performance with various dmographic parameters across subjects areas. NTA will analyse this data to inform the policymakers about the corrective measures required for improving teaching and learning.
BUDGET
The Union Cabinet has granted an iinital amount of Rs 25 crore to start its operation which is now 35 crore now in the year 2023.
EXAMS CONDUCTED BY NTA
1. For universities and colleges
Joint Entrance Examination (Main) (JEE-Main)
National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG)
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
Common University Entrance Test (CUET)
Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT)
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Entrance Test
Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination
Indian Council of Agricultural Research Entrance Examination
National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination (NCHMJEE)
Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET)
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination
All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET)
Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT)
Graduate Aptitude Test – Biotechnology (GAT-B)
Biotechnology Eligibility Test (BET)
2. For Recruitment
University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET)
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test (CSIR-NET)
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Recruitment Exam
Biomedical Research Eligibility Test (BRET)
Military Nursing Service Recruitment Exam
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Recruitment Exam
National Horticulture Board Recruitment Exam
Uttarakhand High Court Recruitment Exam
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (EPFO-LDCE)
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (NVS-LDCE)
3. For School
Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Classes in Targeted Areas (SRESHTA)
Navyug School Sarojini Nagar Entrance Test (NSSNET)
All India Sainik Schools Entrance Exam (AISSEE)
CONTROVERSIES
Following controversies during the past year noted
- Year 2020 – A candidate for JEE main used a substitute to give the exam
- Year 2020 – In NEET (UG) Vidhi Suryavanshi of MP scored 6mark which later found it was false actually scored 590 marks
- Year 2022 – JEE Main – Many students faced technical issues during examinations which resulted lower score.
- Year 2024 – JEE Main- NTA has been criticized for irregularities in the difficulty level of question papers of JEE-Main which leads to the normalization of marks and ultimately, lower scores of candidates.
- Year 2024 – NEET – paper leak reported in Patna Bihar.
- Year 2024 – UGC-NET 2024 Exam was cancelled next day.
PREVENTION OF UNFAIR MEANS -ACT 2024
Government introduced Prevention of Unfair Means -Bill 2024 to stop malpractices and cheating in public examinations.
1. Unfair means includes-
- Leaking question papers or answer keys
- Assisting candidates during exams
- Tempering with computer networks or resources.
- Impersonating candidates.
- Concluding fake examinations or issuing fake documents.
- Tempering with documents for merit lists or ranks.
2. Penalties and Punishments-
(a)Individuals-
· Imprisonment ranging from 03 to 10years depending on the offense severity.
· Fines up to Rs 1 Crore for organized
crimes.(b) Service Providers-
Fines up to Rs 1 crore for involvement in malpractices.
· Barring from conducting publicexaminations for 4 years.
· Personal liability for directors/management involved.
( c) Organized Crimes-
· Harsher penalties with imprisonmentbetween 05 to 10 years and minimum fine of Rs 1 crore
· Institution involved can faceproperty attachment and forfeiture.
3. Empowering Authorities-
- Conduct surprise checks at exam centers and seize electronic devices if suspected foul play.
- Blacklist service providers found guilty of malpractices.
- Share information and co-ordinate across agencies to effectively tackle organized cheating.
4. Additional Measures-
- Establishing specialized courts for speedy trial of offenses.
- Promoting public awareness about the bill and its implications.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
NTA is an autonomous agency under the department of Higher Education.
NTA is responsible for conducting national level exams for admission and fellowships in higher education related to Engineering, Medicine and pharmacy. NTA is responsible for conducting Exams and recruitment also.
The NTA was set up in 2017 as a specialist, self-sustaining and autonomous organization under the Union Education Ministry. Its director general and governing body are appointed by the Union government.
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination, Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test and entrance tests for Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), are among other tests conducted by NTA.
The NTA score is calculated by multiplying the total number of candidates present in a shift by 100 and dividing it by the number of candidates with scores equal to or less than the candidate under consideration. This process is done for each subject individually, including Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Prevention of Unfair means ACT 2024 required and got implemented as very large number of cases of question paper leaks in recruitment exams across the country in recent years noticed-
At least 48 instances of paper leaks in 16 states over the last five years, in which the process of hiring for government jobs was disrupted.
The leaks touched the lives of at least 1.51 crore applicants for about 1.2 lakh posts
If the convict fails to pay the fine an additional punishment of imprisonment shall be imposed, as per the provisions of the Baratiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023.
For more articles like this on this website click here