Invest in question banks, set question paper closer to examination: House panel to National Testing Agency

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports has called for significant reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) to enhance examination security and rebuild public trust. In its 382nd report, titled "Reforms and Strengthening of the National Testing Agency," the committee suggested investing in a continuously updated question bank to minimize the risk of paper leaks.

This approach would allow questions to be drawn from a large, diverse pool and set very close to the examination date, reducing the need for advance printing and transportation of question papers.

Additionally, the committee recommended permanent recruitment of specialized staff and a mechanism to accommodate candidates who arrive late at examination centers due to genuine reasons without incurring extra time. The committee also suggested developing a system to vet experts from top institutions such as IITs and AIIMS to build the question bank, ensuring their integrity and eliminating any potential conflicts of interest before recruitment.

Furthermore, the committee emphasized the importance of secure government-owned CBT infrastructure, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and rural areas, to avoid reliance on private centers. They recommended setting up 1,000 secure government CBT centers with a clear timeline to facilitate examinations nationwide. The committee also proposed creating a national registry of blacklisted examination vendors and a hybrid model for CBT where encrypted questions could be delivered directly to exam centers and printed there for distribution.

Lastly, the panel highlighted the need for addressing manpower shortages by expediting recruitment and developing a permanent cadre within the agency.