Union Cabinet Gives Nod to Set Up National Testing Agency (NTA)
- NTA has been approved by the Union Cabinet and will be formed under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- A grant of Rs. 25 crores will be provided by the government for the establishment of the National Testing agency.
With an objective to relieve AICTE, CBSE and other agencies from the responsibility of conducting entrance exams, the Union Cabinet has given the nod for setting up National Testing Agency (NTA). The motives of NTA are:
- Bring in high reliability
- Standardised difficulty level for assessing the aptitude
- Test intelligence and problem-solving abilities of students
Apart from the board exams, CBSE will be relieved from conducting all the entrance exams such as JEE, UGC NET, CTET and Jawahar Navodaya entrance exam. NTA will be created as a society registered under Indian Societies Registration Act (1860). NTA will be a self-sustained and autonomous premier testing organisation, which will conduct entrance exams for higher educational institutions.
Primarily, NTA will conduct only those exams that are being conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education.
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According to sources, NTA will conduct the entrance exams in online mode at least twice a year and the candidates will be given adequate opportunity to bring out their best.
With a motive to address the requirements of the rural students, NTA would locate the centres at district and sub-district level. NTA will do its best in providing hands-on training to the students.
Eminent educationalists appointed by Ministry of Human Resource and Development will lead the National testing Agency. Director General will be the CEO of NTA, and nine verticals headed by experts and academicians will assist him/her.
According to sources, the government will give a one-time grant of Rs. 25 crores to NTA. The operations of NTA are expected to begin within one year.