NTA asked to reveal 'paper leak' cases since 2018
What's the story
A Parliamentary committee has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to clarify its definition of a "paper leak" and if any such incidents have occurred since 2018. The committee, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, is probing the NEET paper leak case and the CBSE On-Screen Marking System (OSM) controversy. The NTA officials, appearing before the panel last week, had claimed that no paper leaks occurred from their system, arguing that circulating questions were from guess papers.
Inquiry details
Committee seeks details on NTA's staff strength
The committee has sought detailed written responses from the NTA, including if they investigated irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 paper beyond CBI probes. It also asked about NTA's staff strength over the past three years and new recruitments since 2022. The panel demanded annual reports submitted to the Department of Higher Education during this period.
Recommendations review
Status report on expert panel recommendations sought
The panel has also sought a status report on the implementation of all 101 recommendations made by the high-level committee headed by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan. The high-level expert committee was established in June 2024 to give recommendations for the transparent, smooth, and fair administration of tests through the NTA, including its structure and operation, examination process, and data security protocols. The committee has reportedly asked the NTA to submit written answers by June 10.
CBSE summons
CBSE asked to respond by June 8
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also been asked to respond to the panel's questions by June 8. The panel has sought information about changes between Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the OSM system and if background checks on COEMPT were conducted before awarding it the contract. It also inquired if CBSE was aware of COEMPT EduTeck's previous association with Globarena Technologies, which faced scrutiny in the 2019 Telangana Intermediate results case.