New Delhi: In a major crackdown, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has terminated the services of 47 officials amid the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak.
Legal and criminal proceedings will be initiated against some of the officials for their role in the paper leak scandal as the Central government steps up efforts to enforce accountability within the exam body, sources said.
With the NTA being under scrutiny over multiple paper leak controversies, more reformative measures are expected in the coming days.
In fact, a complete restructuring of the NTA is on the cards.
The reforms will be implemented based on the recommendations of an expert committee. The objective is to create a robust and leak-proof examination system.
That the nationwide students protests have set the government thinking was clear after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured fast-track courts would be set up to punish those behind paper leaks. Then, on Thursday night, Modi said in a video message that he was “well aware” the issue of paper leaks is “not a small matter” and causes “immense distress to lakhs of students and their parents.”
He also said that a tough new law was on its way to deal with culprits.