The National Testing Agency (NTA) needs a stronger permanent workforce and tighter examination security, a parliamentary committee has said, flagging vacancies across its sanctioned posts, prolonged leadership arrangements and continued reliance on contractual and outsourced personnel.
In a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress MP Mukul Wasnik, said 16 of the NTA’s 39 sanctioned permanent posts remained vacant. This means around 41% of its core positions were unfilled.
The panel called for the permanent recruitment of specialists in examination security, technology, data analytics and logistics, warning that dependence on deputation and private contractors alone would not help the agency develop adequate institutional capacity.
The report comes after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 on May 12, following the discovery that at least 120 questions in a compilation of suggested questions matched those in the examination paper used on May 3.
Panel flags leadership gaps and rising legal disputes
The committee noted that the NTA director general’s position remained under additional charge for nearly two years, from June 2024 to April 2026, highlighting concerns over the agency’s leadership arrangements.
The NTA’s annual report for 2024-25 recorded 474 court cases, including 69 in the Supreme Court. Of these, 356 were related to NEET-UG 2024, underlining the scale of the legal challenges faced by the agency.
The parliamentary panel also called for greater public disclosure of examination irregularities and the investigations into them. It noted that the Education Ministry’s assertion that no examination conducted by the NTA had suffered a paper leak between 2017 and 2025 differed from the views expressed by some committee members.
Permanent staff and stronger safeguards for question papers
To reduce the risk of question-paper leaks and other irregularities, the committee recommended creating a continuously updated question bank. Examination papers should be generated digitally close to the test dates, with questions vetted by experts who remain under strict quarantine until the examinations are completed.
It also called for the establishment of a dedicated research wing and greater transparency in the publication of examination results.
The panel pointed to the agency’s growing reliance on temporary personnel. The number of contractual staff rose from 39 in 2023-24 to 76 in 2025-26, while 136 personnel were outsourced during 2025-26.
It said permanent recruitment was necessary to retain expertise and strengthen the NTA’s internal capabilities, rather than relying primarily on staff brought in on deputation or through private contractors.
₹590-crore surplus proposed for secure testing infrastructure
The committee recommended using the NTA’s revenue surplus of ₹590 crore to improve examination infrastructure, including upgrading government-owned computer-based testing centres.
It proposed establishing a network of 1,000 secure testing centres, with at least one in every district. The panel also called for mock-test facilities and financial assistance to strengthen information technology laboratories in schools and colleges, helping candidates prepare for computer-based examinations.
Cybersecurity, the committee said, must be strengthened to guard against hacking, manipulation and other threats to the integrity of online tests.
Focus on entrance tests and gradual shift to adaptive exams
The panel urged the NTA to concentrate on conducting entrance examinations for higher education. It also recommended exploring reasonable limits on candidates’ ages and the number of attempts permitted in major examinations, including NEET-UG.
Alongside these measures, the committee supported a phased transition to computer-adaptive testing, in which the questions presented can adjust to a candidate’s performance. Such a shift would require careful implementation, supported by secure technology and robust safeguards.
Accountability, vendor scrutiny and candidate access
The committee also called for a nationwide registry of examination vendors blacklisted by government agencies or other organisations, so that firms barred elsewhere could not secure fresh contracts with the NTA or state governments.
It recommended an independent mechanism to audit examination security, examine candidates’ grievances and report findings directly to the Education Ministry. The panel said the agency needed consistent, transparent and two-way communication with students, parents and teachers, rather than relying largely on portals and official notifications.
The report noted that the NTA conducts examinations for around 1.2 crore candidates annually. It also called for a phased shift of NEET-UG from pen-and-paper testing to computer-based testing, with investment in secure government-run infrastructure and improved access for students in rural areas and smaller cities.
The panel’s recommendations seek to address not only the immediate vulnerabilities exposed by examination controversies but also longer-term weaknesses in staffing, vendor oversight, transparency and institutional accountability.