The Education Ministry has informed the Rajya Sabha that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is functioning with a significant staffing gap. The issue matters for UPSC because the NTA is the central body that conducts major entrance and fellowship examinations, and administrative weakness in such an institution affects the credibility of public recruitment and selection processes.
What the Education Ministry told Parliament
According to the ministry, 15 of the 39 sanctioned posts in the NTA remain vacant. The ministry also said the agency depends on 24 employees on deputation, 73 contract personnel, and 124 outsourced workers rather than a permanent cadre.
The ministry further stated that 16 additional posts have been created, but those posts are still linked to deputation arrangements. The staffing pattern indicates that the NTA does not yet have a fully settled institutional cadre for long-term examination administration.
Background and earlier position
The National Testing Agency was set up in 2017 as an autonomous testing organisation under the Ministry of Education to conduct major entrance examinations and other assessments. It was created to reduce pressure on universities and to bring greater standardisation, professionalism, and efficiency into examination conduct.
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