Starting in 2025, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will exclusively conduct entrance examinations for higher education institutions, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced. This shift means the NTA will no longer handle recruitment exams, a decision aimed at streamlining the agency’s role and improving transparency in the examination process.
The move follows the recommendations of a high-level panel headed by Prof. K. Radhakrishnan, former chairman of ISRO and current chair of the IIT-Kanpur board of governors. The panel, formed earlier this year, was tasked with addressing concerns over the alleged leak of the NEET medical entrance exam and the cancellation of several other exams due to technical issues and suspected leaks.
With this change, the NTA will focus on conducting major entrance exams, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering aspirants. The agency, which has been instrumental in organizing national-level exams since its establishment in 2017, will now concentrate its resources and expertise on these critical tests.“
The NTA was originally set up to conduct entrance examinations for higher education institutions. To strengthen its focus, recruitment exams will no longer be part of its responsibilities,” said Pradhan. The move reflects growing demands for reforms to enhance transparency and efficiency in exam processes.
Recruitment exams previously handled by the NTA will now be transferred to other central and state recruitment agencies. The Ministry of Education is expected to provide further details soon, including a transition plan to ensure that recruitment exams continue without disruption.
Pradhan emphasized that NTA’s new focus will ensure the credibility and smooth execution of high-stakes exams like JEE and NEET, which see millions of candidates each year.
