PATNA: The National Testing Agency (NTA)’s reluctance in sharing vital and crucial information with the Bihar police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) for taking forward the probe into the NEET-UG paper leak has only put the premier testing agency under scanner as the possibility of complicity of some NTA officials in the examination muddle could not be completely ruled out. The CBI, which took over the investigation into the scandal from the Bihar police on June 23, is probing the case from this angle.
The role of some NTA functionaries is also being looked into. Earlier, EOU officials alleged that the reluctance of NTA to provide necessary information delayed the probe. The NTA, an autonomous and self-sustained testing organisation under education ministry, is responsible for conducting some crucial examinations such as JEE, NEETUG, UGC-NET, CMAT.
Taking a serious note of the matter, a CBI team carried out searches at a private school in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh from where the question leak is suspected. The search was carried out on the basis of evidence collected from the school by the EOU team.
The school principal was made the city coordinator of the NTA for smooth conduct of medical entrance. In Patna, NTA has no office of its own to conduct exams. Instead, it has nominated S S Sahay, principal of Dony Polo Public School, RPS Mor, Danapur, P K Singh, principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bailey Road, and Manisha Sinha, principal of Radiant International, Khagaul road as coordinators. However, Sahay has been assigned to look after its affairs as state coordinator. Though he confirmed that he has been made coordinator by NTA, he declined to share information citing protocol norms.
‘NTA reluctance delayed probe’
The role of some NTA functionaries is also being looked into. Earlier, EOU officials alleged that the reluctance of NTA to give information delayed probe. The NTA, an autonomous and self-sustained testing organisation, conducts some crucial examinations.