New Delhi:

Dealing with protests in a number of components of the nation in addition to assaults from the opposition, the Centre has eliminated the chief of the Nationwide Testing Company (NTA) from his submit amid the controversy over the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and the cancellation of the UGC-NET Examination.

In a press release on Saturday, the Ministry of Personnel introduced that Subodh Kumar Singh, who was the director normal of the NTA, has been changed by retired Indian Administration Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Singh Kharola. Mr Kharola is the Chairman and Managing Editor of the India Commerce Promotion Organisation and has been given further cost because the director normal of the NTA “until the appointment of a daily incumbent or till additional orders”.

The transfer comes hours after the federal government constituted a committee which is able to give suggestions to enhance the functioning of the company and a day earlier than round 1,500 college students who had been given grace marks for NEET-UG are scheduled to take a retest.

The CSIR UGC NET examination – scheduled to be held from June 25 to June 27 – additionally needed to be postponed resulting from “logistical causes” on Friday and the NEET-PG examination, slated to be held on Sunday, was rescheduled late on Saturday.

Capping a day of fast-moving developments, the federal government additionally handed over the probe into the alleged irregularities, together with the paper leaks, within the NEET-UG examination to the CBI on Saturday. The company can be probing the alleged leaks that led to the cancellation of the UGC NET examination.

Sources have instructed NDTV that the repeated allegations of leaks in exams performed by the NTA and the inconvenience precipitated to college students, in addition to the outpouring of anger amongst them, had made Mr Singh’s place tenuous. Strain from a resurgent opposition in addition to opposed remarks by the Supreme Court docket towards the NTA additionally performed a job within the choice to take away the examination physique chief. 

The transfer can be a part of a promised overhaul of the Nationwide Testing Company, which has been spoken about by Schooling Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as effectively. Sources stated that, at a current Cupboard assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had requested Mr Pradhan to take motion, and the crackdown has now begun. 

Punishing The Responsible

The precedence for the federal government now, they stated, is to resolve the alleged paper leaks and convey the responsible to ebook. That is particularly essential because the NTA organises a number of key examinations, together with the NEET and JEE, wherein lakhs of scholars seem. The Supreme Court docket can be scheduled to listen to petitions on the problem on July 8.

Earlier on Saturday, the federal government constituted a seven-member committee to have a look at methods of enhancing the functioning of the NTA. The panel can be led by Dr Ok Radhakrishnan, a former ISRO chief and the present chairperson of the board of governors of IIT Kanpur, and may have former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria as one of many members. 

After the committee was fashioned, Mr Pradhan stated it was the primary in a collection of steps to enhance the effectivity of the examination course of. 

“Clear, tamper-free and zero-error examinations is a dedication. Establishing of the high-level committee of consultants is the primary of a collection of step to enhance effectivity of the examination course of, put an finish to all attainable malpractices, strengthen information safety protocols and overhaul and reform the NTA. Pupil pursuits and their vivid future will at all times be our govt’s prime precedence,” he posted on X. 

Mess Will get Messier

Almost 24 lakh college students had appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 for undergraduate medical programs, which is performed by the Nationwide Testing Company, on Could 5. The outcomes have been introduced on June 4, 10 days earlier than schedule, however allegations of query paper leaks and beauty marks to over 1,500 college students triggered protests. Circumstances have been additionally filed in courts, together with the Supreme Court docket, which has rapped the NTA. 

On Wednesday, the Schooling Ministry had cancelled the UGC-NET examination, additionally performed by the NTA, only a day after it was held. Over 9 lakh candidates had appeared for the examination, which is held for Assistant Professor posts in universities and schools and to find out eligibility for junior analysis fellowships. Mr Pradhan had stated the UGC chairman had obtained data from the cyber crime crew within the Residence Ministry about questions being on the darknet.

The CSIR UGC NET – just like the UGC NET, however for science college students – was postponed on Friday and NEET PG was pushed again on Saturday.

The INDIA alliance, which gained 232 seats within the just lately held Lok Sabha elections and saved the BJP from successful a majority by itself, has additionally been attacking the Centre relentlessly over the problem. 

On Saturday, Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who’s gearing as much as make her electoral debut, posted on X: “Beneath the BJP authorities, NTA has turn out to be a No Belief Company and examinations have turn out to be a horrible tragedy. Lakhs of hardworking kids and fogeys of the nation have gotten victims of this tragedy led to by the BJP and the Schooling Ministry is taking part in committee-committee. When will accountability be determined? When will motion be taken?”

The examination row can be more likely to be taken up strongly by the opposition in Parliament after the primary session of the 18th Lok Sabha begins on Monday.