Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi Orders Major Overhaul of NTA Amidst Recent UGC NET Issues
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi orders a major revamp of the NTA. More than 50 NTA staff members have been removed, while 10 specialised leadership positions are being filled.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has ordered a major revamp of the National Testing Agency. The decision has come following the recent cancellation of the UGC NET examination and related issues.
According to reports, more than 50 NTA staff members have been removed while 10 specialised leadership positions are being filled. The changes include hiring experts in cybersecurity, psychometrics and question-paper design.
Education Minister Shri @JoshiPralhad held a meeting with the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, DG @NTA_Exams, and other senior officials.
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) August 17, 2026
The Minister was apprised on the steps taken by NTA in the wake of recent issues, particularly with reference to reforming the… pic.twitter.com/D5r5jSY0q0
As per the details provided, the Education Minister held a meeting with the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, DG NTA and other senior officials. The Minister was apprised of the steps taken by the NTA in the wake of recent issued particularly to reform the overall system. The following changes are being made
a. More than 50 staff have been removed from NTA.
b. Ten new professional leadership positions (Chief Technology Officer, Chief Finance Officer, CISO, GM, Test Security, GM, R&D and Psychometrics, and others) have been advertised and are being onboarded.
c. Domain specialists are being brought in from the private sector for cyber-security, psychometrics, question-paper design and other specialised areas.
The minister has also added that strict compliance is to be ensured with the established exam protocols and also directed that a complete overhaul of Confidential Operations (CONOPS) architecture, secluded rooms, air-gapped systems, and device-deposit protocols be implemented on a war footing.
The NTA was again under the scanner when the English, Commerce and Sociology papers of the UGC NET Examination were cancelled due to irregularities and rescheduled to be held on September 9 and 10, 2026. The irregularities were pointed out by students, following which a committee was formed to look into the errors. As per the recommendation of the committee, it was decided that the exam will be conducted in September. The details of the re-examination will be provided on the official UGC NET website soon. Students will be issued an admit card for the re-examination.
Sherin is an education journalist with over 7 years of experience. Over her tenure of working with top media houses like Careers 360 and then Jagran Josh, Sherin has covered various entrance examinations liek JEE Main, NEET, CUET, GATE, etc. as well as various state board and CBSE results. Her understanding of the education ecosystem coupled with her own experience of teaching as an Assistant Professor of nearly 2 years helps her provide a comprehensive perspective to students. She has a Masters Degree in Communication from Madras Christian College. Apart from covering education news, Sherin also enjoys reading and cooking.
