National Testing Agency set to be a reality soon
The major educational reform is expected to provide relief to lakhs of students.
New Delhi: The National Testing Agency, an autonomous, self-sustaining premier testing organisation, which will conduct all higher education entrance examinations, is set to become a reality as the Union human resource development ministry is soon likely seek the Cabinet’s approval for creating the body.
Sources said a proposal for creating the agency, first proposed by finance minister in the Union budget this year, would be put before the Cabinet soon. Once created, the agency is expected to free Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) from their duties so that they can focus on academics.
The setting up of National Testing Agency is a huge step in revamping the country’s education system, which has been one of the major challenges before the government, sources said. This newspaper was the first to report on January 29 that the government planned to unveil a unified examination body for higher education sector in this year’s budget.
The major educational reform is expected to provide relief to lakhs of students. With the introduction of a common entrance test, conducted through National Testing Agency, the HRD Ministry is aiming to bring in transparency to the admission procedure and also ease pressure on students who have to appear in 12. It is understood that various institutions are likely to be given the freedom to decide on the process of selection and counselling and allocate a seat according to ranking in the common test. it is learnt that the number of times the examination would be conducted in a year and the minimum quamultiple examinations.
Currently several agencies like AICTE, IIT, CBSE, CAT, GATE, NET and IIM conduct their own examinations for their respective courses, which is understood to be an inconvenience for students and parents alike. A number of states also conduct their own test while few grant admission based on marks obtained in class lification marks are yet to be worked out.