No More Exam-Day Lapses? NTA Plans Retired Army Personnel at Examination Centres

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is planning a major overhaul of its examination monitoring system by creating a permanent pool of independent observers, including retired armed forces and paramilitary personnel, following allegations of paper leaks and examination irregularities.

The move comes months after the NEET-UG question paper leak controversy triggered nationwide student protests and raised serious questions about the security and credibility of competitive examinations in India.

In two separate Expressions of Interest (EOIs) issued earlier this week, the NTA has invited applications from eligible individuals to serve as examination observers and from institutions seeking empanelment as examination centres.

The proposed observer pool will comprise three categories: retired Central and state government officers, retired armed forces and paramilitary personnel, and retired or serving teachers and professors from government institutions.

Observers will be deployed at examination centres across India to independently monitor security arrangements, ensure fair conduct and report directly to the NTA. They will function separately from city coordinators and centre superintendents.

The agency also plans to empanel suitable institutions and organisations to expand its examination infrastructure. For computer-based tests, centres will generally need 285 fully functional computer workstations per shift, while pen-and-paper examination centres must have at least 250 candidate seats.

The NTA conducts several major national-level examinations, including NEET-UG, JEE-Main, UGC-NET, CSIR-NET and CUET, across thousands of centres in India and abroad.

The latest measures follow the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, which triggered widespread protests and led to the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Following his resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms aimed at making the country's examination system more secure and leak-proof. The panel is yet to submit its report.