NTA

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is creating a permanent pool of independent observers, including retired armed forces and paramilitary personnel and retired state and Central government officers, as part of a wider overhaul of the examination system following security breaches and allegations of irregularities.

The agency, which was at the centre of controversy following a question paper leak for the medical entrance exam NEET-UG earlier this year, is also seeking applications from eligible institutions and organisations that own or operate suitable infrastructure and wish to be empanelled as examination centres.

In two separate Expressions of Interest (EOIs) rolled out earlier this week, the agency has sought applications from eligible persons and institutions for the purpose.
The NTA conducts a large number of national-level entrance and eligibility examinations each year, including NEET-UG, JEE-Main, UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, CUET (UG and PG) and others, across several thousand test centres spread throughout the country and abroad.
"On the day of each examination, NTA deploys an independent Observer at every test centre. The Observer is NTA's own representative at the centre, distinct from and in addition to the City Coordinator and Centre Superintendent, and is entrusted with monitoring the fairness, security and smooth conduct of the examination and reporting directly to NTA," the EOI document read.
"To meet this requirement in a timely and reliable manner across an annual examination cycle, NTA proposes to build and maintain a standing, pre-verified pool of empanelled Observers, drawn from retired and serving academic and administrative staff of government institutions, from which exam-wise deployment orders can be issued well in advance of each examination," it added.
The application for observers is being sought in three categories: Retired central and state government officers; retired armed forces or paramilitary personnel; and retired or serving teachers and professors from government schools, colleges and universities.
"For test centres located outside India, NTA shall ordinarily empanel Observers from among Indian nationals resident in the same city as the test centre, including serving and retired officials of the Indian Mission in that country, retired officers of the Ministry of External Affairs, and other Indian nationals of eligible profile locally available," it said.
For empanelment as exam centres, the NTA has invited applications from eligible institutions and organisations who own, operate or have legally enforceable use-rights over a facility suitable for examination conduct.
For empanelment as a Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre, institutions with 285 fully-functional computer workstations (including buffer) per shift are required, while for Pen and Paper-based Test (PPT) centres, a minimum of 250 seats are required.
"Centres with less than 285 workstations may apply but will be considered only in locations with limited supply. 250 candidate seats (including buffer) per shift are required for PPT centres. Centres should be able to accommodate examinations conducted in a single shift covering 3 hours.
"For CBT, a minimum of 4 separate computer labs or halls of 30 workstations each. For PPT, a minimum of 6 separate examination halls of 40 candidates each, or equivalent configurations, are needed," the EoI document read.
The move comes in the wake of the question paper leak of the medical entrance exam NEET-UG earlier this year, which sparked nationwide student protests and led to the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
A day after Pradhan's resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms to make the exam system leakproof. The panel is yet to submit its report.
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