National Testing Agency likely to hold boards

From 2020, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is likely to conduct board examinations in various states.
National Testing Agency likely to hold boards

NEW DELHI: From 2020, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is likely to conduct board examinations in various states. An autonomous body under the Union Human Resources Development Ministry, the NTA was constituted only last year to organise various competitive examinations. Starting 2018-19, the agency has taken the mantle of conducting competitive exams like UGC-National Eligibility Entrance Test, NEET and JEE (Main) from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Officials in the NTA said that talks were on with various states to finalise the modalities.

“We are interested in conducting the examination in various states so that the quality and conduct of these examinations improve,” a senior NTA functionary told this newspaper, adding, “While the CBSE has made a name for itself for ensuring a fair conduct of exams that it organises, it has left a lot to be desired when it comes to holding the Class X and XII board examinations.”

The effort by NTA comes even as hints that two prominent central universities — Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University — might go for entrance test-based admissions under NEET from the next academic session, led to major confusion among students. Last week, while reviewing the UGC-NET examination last week, which for the first time was organized by the NTA, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had insisted that the agency will change how competitive exams are conducted in the country. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to have examinations conducted in a transparent and user-friendly manner.

The NTA is a step in that direction. National testing agencies are operational in a few advanced countries and now, the introduction of a similar concept in India, will also ensure a fair conduct of our competitive tests,” Javadekar said. The Minister had also said that the NTA is conducting a psychometric analysis of the question papers of the last three years to prepare question papers, going forward.

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