Education Ministry's High-Level Panel to Tackle Exam Reforms

The Union education ministry set up a panel to propose exam reforms and review the National Testing Agency's operations. The seven-member committee, led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, will ensure transparent and fair exam conduct. Members include experts from various institutions who will submit their report within two months.

The Union education ministry's high-level panel established to recommend exam reforms and evaluate the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to convene on Monday, sources confirmed.

In response to controversies surrounding irregularities in competitive exams, the ministry announced on Saturday the formation of a seven-member panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan. The panel aims to ensure the transparent, smooth, and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.

The committee will convene for its first meeting on Monday and is expected to present its findings within two months. Recommendations will be implemented in the next exam cycle. The panel's tasks include suggesting improvements to the exam calendar, data security protocols, and the structure and functioning of the NTA.

Additionally, the panel will review existing security protocols for setting the examination papers and other processes, making recommendations to enhance the system's robustness. Members of the panel include former AIIMS-Delhi director Randeep Guleria, University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor BJ Rao, IIT-Madras professor emeritus K Ramamurthy, People Strong co-founder Pankaj Bansal, IIT-Delhi Dean of Student Affairs Aditya Mittal, and Education Ministry Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal.

The urgency of the situation is highlighted by recent issues. The NTA, criticized for lapses in conducting exams like NEET-UG and UGC-NET, conducted a retest for NEET-UG after previous tests were marred by irregularities and alleged paper leaks. Furthermore, UGC-NET was canceled after its integrity was compromised.