The government has appointed Pradeep Singh Kharola as the new head of the National Testing Agency (NTA), replacing Subodh Singh amid allegations of irregularities in competitive exams.
Kharola, a senior bureaucrat and Chairman and Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), has been given additional charge of the NTA until a new Director is appointed. He will oversee the agency's operations, including the conduct of examinations such as NEET and NET.
Kharola, a 1985 batch IAS officer of the Karnataka Cadre, has had a distinguished career in various roles, including:
- Chairman and Managing Director of Air India (November 2017)
- Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation
- Civil Aviation Secretary (2019)
- Chairman of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) (2022)
He holds a Master's degree in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, Philippines.
The appointment comes amid controversy over alleged irregularities in the NEET and NET exams, which have led to calls for greater transparency and accountability in the testing agency. The NTA has been under scrutiny after allegations of paper leaks and irregularities in the conduct of exams surfaced. The agency has denied any wrongdoing.
What Is NTA?
The National Testing Agency (NTA), established in November 2017 under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, is an autonomous body tasked with conducting various entrance examinations for admissions to higher educational institutions. NTA conducts exams such as:
- NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)
- JEE (Joint Entrance Examination)
- CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test)
- GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering)
- GPAT (Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test)
- GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
- CAT (Common Admission Test)
- UGC-NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test)
- CSIR-UGC NET (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test)
