NTA Removes 600 Experts, Introduces 4-Tier Checks And Deploys CISF In War-Footing Plan To Fix Exam System

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has moved to a complete revamp of the system by removing 600 experts from the examination team that conducts and secures India’s largest competitive exams, after weeks of criticism over errors and mismanagement. In a follow-up review meeting on the functioning of NTA, Union Education Minister Prahlad Joshi instructed the agency to put in place all essential security measures and supporting infrastructure without delay to ensure examinations run smoothly across the country. 

The agency is making efforts for a complete overhaul at a time when public trust in NTA has come under strain, with recent paper-related mistakes forcing re-exams and drawing calls for systemic reform from students, parents and experts. The agency officials informed the minister that the agency has already acted on earlier instructions. According to an update shared by the Ministry of Education, the NTA Director General (DG) briefed Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on the steps taken so far.

As per information, in a major shake-up, the testing body has removed 600 experts from its existing examination team and begun the process of bringing in new specialists. Further, between 20 and 25 additional officials are also expected to join over the next 2 to 3 weeks, with a bigger recruitment plan discussed during the meeting.

The overhaul is being carried out as NTA faces heightened scrutiny over the quality and accuracy of question papers in major national-level tests. The concerns around factual slips, poor translation and typographical mistakes have repeatedly surfaced, putting pressure on the agency to tighten oversight.

In a post on X, the Ministry of Education noted, “As a follow-up meeting on NTA, Union Education Minister Shri Joshi Pralhad directed that all necessary security and related infrastructural facilities should be put in place for the smooth conduct of examinations. Following directions from the Minister, DG, NTA apprised on the action taken by NTA: A revamp of the examination team was undertaken, with 600 experts being removed and new experts being onboarded. A four-tier question paper checking system will be put in place to strengthen the scrutiny of examination papers. 20-25 officials to be inducted in next two to three weeks. Further induction plan was also reviewed. NTA offices will be shifted to the new premises on a war footing, where Security will be reinforced with CISF teams.”

4-Tier Scrutiny For Question Papers

To address all the concerns, the NTA will now operate a 4-tier mechanism for vetting question papers before they are finalised. The layered checking process is designed to catch errors at multiple stages and improve the overall reliability of papers used in high-stakes exams.

The move followed the agency’s recent decision to order a complete re-conduct of the UGC-NET June 2026 examination in English, Commerce and Sociology. A probe committee had found massive factual, typographical and translation errors in those papers, prompting the rare step of a full retest.

Stronger Security At New Premises

Alongside academic reforms, the Ministry said that the NTA offices will be relocated to new premises “on a war footing”. The change is intended to upgrade the physical infrastructure that supports exam planning and logistics. The security at the new locations will also be tightened, with teams from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to be deployed. The Ministry called the enhanced arrangements part of a bigger effort to safeguard the examination process from leaks, interference and administrative lapses.

The latest package of reforms signalled that the government wants to rebuild confidence in the NTA by strengthening expert oversight, improving paper scrutiny and reinforcing the security of the offices. The officials acknowledged that with lakhs of students appearing for the NTA exams each year, preventing future errors and ensuring seamless conduct will be critical to restoring credibility.