15 of 39 posts in National Testing Agency lie vacant, says Minister of State for Education

File photo of Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Fifteen of the 39 posts created by the National Testing Agency (NTA) remain vacant, Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar stated in Rajya Sabha.At present, the Union Education Ministry’s exam-conducting body has 24 employees, all of whom have been appointed on deputation from various institutions, Mr. Majumdar stated in a written reply on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) to a question raised by CPI(M) MP V. Sivadasan.According to the reply, NTA relies heavily on external hiring, engaging 73 officials on contract — including a general manager of communication, senior advisors, and consultants — alongside 124 outsourced personnel covering roles like data analysis, legal support, and housekeeping.Tied to deputationTo strengthen operations, 16 posts (director and joint director levels) have been created under the Central Staffing Scheme, but appointments remain tied to deputation arrangements rather than permanent staff recruitment.The statement is significant as it comes at a time when students are protesting in Jantar Mantar demanding accountability in competitive exams, especially with the functioning of NTA as it is responsible for conducting NEET(UG) and UGC-NET.“The NTA is responsible for conducting high-stakes university entrance, medical, engineering, and fellowship examinations. Running such a critical centralised body without a single dedicated, permanent cadre is a massive administrative failure that directly impacts students,” Mr. Sivadasan said in a public statement.Since its inception in 2018, the NTA — designed as a self-sustained autonomous organisation — has conducted 270 examinations catering to over 6.6 crore students. In 2026 alone, 65 lakh students have registered for various examinations, the Rajya Sabha reply said.“Despite this enormous scale, the agency has faced intense criticism over paper leaks and test cancellations, including the high-profile mismanagement seen in exams like NEET and UGC-NET,” Mr. Sivadasan said.The CPI(M) lawmaker also said that although public reports suggest question paper leaks in nearly 100 exams and around 50 re-examinations since 2018, the Ministry of Education has not replied to his question regarding the exact number of re-examinations conducted.The government failed to explain how the agency’s structural autonomy is being exercised in practice or who bears final administrative responsibility when errors occur.In the data provided in the Rajya Sabha, NTA’s revenue soared from ₹504.16 crore in 2018-19 to ₹1,116.84 crore in 2023-24.“While the revenue including the examination fee collections more than doubled within five years, revenue figures for the subsequent fiscal years (2024-25 and 2025-26) were not disclosed in the response,” Mr. Sivadasan said.The Rajya Sabha member alleged that the centralisation of the examination system — taking authority away from State governments and universities — aligns with a political agenda to centralise education policy at the expense of fairness and reliability. Pointing to ongoing nationwide student protests against administrative failures, he reiterated that left-wing student organisations and parties have warned against the NTA’s “unscientific and commercially driven model” since its formation. Published - July 23, 2026 10:37 pm IST