Modi govt sacks NTA chief; NEET-PG exam postponed

New Delhi, NT Bureau: The Centre has sacked the chief of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Subodh Kumar Singh, amid the massive row over alleged irregularities in the NEET and UGC-NET examinations.

Singh has been put on "compulsory wait" in the Department of Personnel and Training, while retired Indian Administration Service (IAS) officer Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed as the new director general of the exam body, which conducts the NEET, UGC-NET, CUET and JEE (Main).

The Union Health Ministry also announced the postponement of NEET-PG entrance, a night before the entrance exam, as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of recent allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams.

The fresh date of this examination will be notified at the earliest, it said. This decision has been taken in the best interests of the students and to maintain the sanctity of the examination process," the ministry said.

Centre sets up panel to reform exams, review NTA

Amid a row over irregularities in competitive exams NEET and NET, the education ministry on Saturday notified a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the National Testing Agency (NTA).

‘Damage control,’ says Congress

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said that the notification of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, a day earlier by the Union government is “damage control” amid the several alleged “scams” in entrance examinations.

Noting that the president had given her assent to the Act in February, Jairam on Saturday said: “Finally, just this morning the nation has been told that this Act has come into force.