Supreme Court urges Centre to strengthen NTA, seeks reforms update

The Supreme Court has urged the Centre to file an affidavit within three weeks, detailing the steps taken to implement the recommendations of two committees, namely one led by former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and another by Nandan Nilekani. The court emphasized the need for the National Testing Agency (NTA) to institutionalize itself and become a "vibrant institution like the UPSC," with robust infrastructure, manpower, and technological capabilities.

The court also expressed concern over the continuation of recommendations from previous committees and urged the new committee to review and improve upon them. Justice P S Narasimha, presiding over the two-Judge bench, pointed out the need for continuity in reforms and the appointment of key personnel at the NTA, including directors and joint directors.

The court is also concerned about the digital security of the NTA and the storage of question papers, given the evolving nature of technology.