Reforms in Education: NTA and NCERT Initiatives Unveiled

The Union Education Minister announced crucial reforms for the National Testing Agency and plans for NCERT to publish affordable books. Additionally, the NAS survey aims to assess educational progress, while NEET UG 2024 faces scrutiny over exam irregularities, prompting a re-examination for affected candidates.

On Tuesday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan revealed that a high-level committee tasked with proposing reforms for the National Testing Agency (NTA) has submitted its findings to the Supreme Court. Speaking at a press conference, Pradhan highlighted significant progress, noting that 91.8% of India's schools now have electricity, compared to just 53% in 2013-14.

The minister elaborated on the NTA report, emphasizing that its main points would be publicly accessible. Additionally, Pradhan announced that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) plans to publish 15 crore quality and affordable books for the upcoming academic year, minimizing financial burdens on students. This effort includes partnerships with Amazon and Flipkart to sell books at MRP.

Pradhan also brought attention to the National Achievement Survey (NAS), which has surveyed over 87,000 schools, intending to assess learning outcomes across India. In light of the NAS district-level survey, the ministry aims to better understand educational progression. The NEET UG 2024 faced controversies over paper leaks and irregularities, leading to a re-examination on June 23 for those affected by time losses.

(With inputs from agencies.)