Radhakrishnan Panel Recommends Restructuring of NTA

Syllabus: GS2/Education

Context

• A high-level committee of experts, headed by former chairperson of ISRO K. Radhakrishnan, has recommended restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Need For the Reforms

• Question Paper Leaks and Malpractices: Compromised exam security leads to question paper leaks, giving unfair advantages to some students. For Example: NEET-UG Paper Leak, UGC Net irregularities etc
  • Manipulation of marks, like arbitrary awarding of grace marks, creates an uneven playing field.
• Exam Cancellations and Technical Glitches: Frequent exam cancellations due to these issues lead to delays, added stress, and financial burdens for aspirants.
• Lack of Transparency: Variations in difficulty levels across different exam sessions raise concerns about fairness and comparability.
• Normalization Issues: The process of normalizing scores to account for varying difficulty levels can be opaque and lead to disputes.
• Other Challenges: Like allegations of political interference, instances of corruption, like the Vyapam scam etc. 
• Loss of Trust: These problems erode public trust in the examination system and its ability to conduct fair assessments.

Key Recommendations of Panel for Exam Reforms

• Examinations Conducted: NTA from 2025 will conduct only entrance exams for higher education institutions and not recruitment exams.
• Restructuring of NTA: 10 new posts covering administration, digital infrastructure, IT security being created in an effort aimed at an error-free examination process for students. 
• Digi- Exam: On the lines of Digi-Yatra, to make the examination process foolproof, authentication at the stages of application, test, admission.
• Governing Body: It recommended to set up an empowered and accountable governing body with three designated sub-committees to oversee test audit, ethics and transparency, nomination and staff conditions. 
• Coordination Committee: It recommends that Coordination Committees at State and District levels may be set up with specified roles and responsibilities.
• Test Centres: The panel also recommended usage of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) across the country as test centres.
• Secure Question Paper Transportation: This includes the use of secure courier services, sealed by authorized officials and validated by the NTA before dispatch.
  • Containers must be locked, monitored during transit, and handed over at test centers under CCTV surveillance and NTA supervision.
• Online Examinations: On the recommendations of the Panel, the government plans to introduce computer adaptive testing for future entrance exams. 

Source: TH