Cabinet nod to setting up National Testing Agency

November 10, 2017 22:43

The Union Cabinet today approved setting up of National Testing Agency to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions, an official release said.

The NTA would initially conduct entrance tests that are currently organised by the Central Board of Secondary Education, while other examinations will be taken up gradually, it added.

Currently, the Central Board of Secondary Education conducts National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test or NEET on behalf of the Medical Council Of India and Health Ministry and the National Eligibility Test or NET on behalf of the University Grants Commission, an official said.

"It (the move) will relieve the CBSE, the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) and other agencies from responsibility of conducting these entrance examinations, and also bring in high reliability, standardised difficulty level for assessing the aptitude, intelligence and problem-solving abilities of the students," the release said.

The entrance examinations will be conducted online at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best, it added.

In order to serve the requirements of the rural students, it would locate the centres at sub-district/district level and as far as possible would undertake hands-on training exercise for the students, the release said.

The NTA will be given a one-time grant of Rs 25 crore from the government to start its operation in the first year and thereafter, it will be financially self-sustainable, itadded.

It will be chaired by an educationist appointed by the human resource development ministry.

The establishment of the NTA, an autonomous organisation, will benefit about 40 lakh students appearing in various entrance examinations, the release said.

It will be established as a society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.

In view of the need to have a specialised body in India like the most advanced countries, the finance minister in the Budget speech of 2017-18 had announced setting up of NTA to conduct all entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. -- PTI

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