What happened (PAC direction on NTA utilisation certificates)
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament directed the Ministry of Education to ensure the National Testing Agency (NTA) submits pending utilisation certificates linked to a seed grant. The PAC asked NTA to furnish the pending utilisation certificates within 60 days.
The PAC’s direction covers these figures and period:
₹25 crore: one-time assistance seed grant received by NTA at its creation in 2017₹10 crore: portion of the seed grant for which utilisation certificates remain pending2018–19: financial year linked to the pending utilisation certificates for ₹10 crore
Background and earlier position (why utilisation certificates matter)
The PAC raised the utilisation-certificate delay during its examination of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit matter on pending utilisation certificates. Government rules referenced in the PAC context state that utilisation certificates are typically required within 12 months after the close of the financial year for non-recurring grants. Utilisation certificates verify that public money was spent on the sanctioned purposes.
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