In January 2024, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a tender for the setup of online exam centres and the administration of state and central exams (such as SSC, RRB, IBPS) in collaboration with private universities and higher education institutions. However, the NTA faced criticism due to several question paper leaks, which highlighted its shortcomings in expanding its computer-based testing capacity and infrastructure development.

In the tender document, the NTA stated its intention to enhance the capacity of its computer labs to accommodate test takers in 378 cities. However, a senior NTA official has revealed that the progress on this initiative has been impeded due to the pending finalization of the tender process, If the tender had gone through, the NTA would have aimed to conduct exams across India in a standardised format by establishing online exam centres without any possibility of malpractice.

NTA’s Plans and Objectives

The NTA is in the process of establishing a widespread network of computer-based exam centres throughout India. These centres will facilitate the administration of online exams for various government bodies such as SSC, RRB, and IBPS. In addition to exam purposes, they will also be utilized for other educational activities in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

NTA is committed to integrating advanced technology to ensure that these exam centres are modern and efficient. They will not only support vocational training programs but also assist in tasks related to artificial intelligence, such as data labelling and speech transcription. NTA will collaborate with schools, universities, and other institutions to establish or enhance the necessary infrastructure.

Furthermore, NTA's goal is to establish virtual labs for remote learning and develop high-quality labs for IT and technology courses. This initiative aims to enhance testing practices across educational institutions and guarantee fair and standardized exams for students throughout India. From the given link you can visit the official website of NTA and get to know more about the tender and its objective
https://nta.ac.in/Tender

NTA’s Transition to Safer Computer-Based Testing

The NTA is responsible for organizing a variety of entrance exams across India, utilizing both computer-based (CBT) and traditional pen-and-paper methods. For example, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) for engineering candidates is conducted using the secure CBT mode, while the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for medical candidates continues to be administered using a pen-and-paper format.

CBT is widely regarded as a more secure testing method, as it significantly reduces the risk of malpractices such as paper leaks and cheating. Currently, the NTA is capable of managing around 600 CBT testing centres throughout India, each of which meets specific standards for conducting online exams, ensuring a controlled and secure testing environment.

Due to infrastructure limitations, CBT exams conducted in multiple shifts, with distinct sets of question papers for each shift. This practice helps accommodate the large volume of test-takers while upholding the integrity of the examination process. The NTA upholds the integrity of CBT by implementing a range of security measures. They use different security measures like strict rules to stop cheating, a safe network and system, and constant CCTV and live monitoring. They also check candidates carefully, keep test questions safe with strong codes, and manage everything securely. All of these things make sure that the tests are fair and safe. However, some people are worried about the recent issues with the NEET UG exam and whether the NTA's safety measures are good enough.

NTA’s Expansion Challenges

The current resource constraints in India hinder the administration of online exams for over 300,000 candidates in a single shift, as stated by V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-Madras. The NTA has developed a phased expansion plan to increase its capacity for online examinations to address these limitations.

The NTA planned to initially set up new exam centres capable of accommodating 40,000 candidates per shift, to expand to 200,000 candidates per shift. This expansion involved adding anywhere between 145 to 700 new centres equipped with 275 computer nodes. However, these plans did not materialize as expected, with tenders failing to progress.

Efforts to switch NEET-UG exams to an online format, similar to the JEE (Mains), have repeatedly failed despite multiple proposals to the Ministry of Education. An NTA official noted that ongoing discussions for over five years have yet to yield results. The recent paper leak incident has highlighted the urgent need to reconsider and implement a more secure online examination format​.

The tender aimed to establish online exam infrastructure in private and government higher education institutions, schools, and government or semi-government buildings. The NTA planned to outsource this work to companies or PSUs capable of developing new IT facilities on campuses, ensuring they could effectively manage the centres and enhance the overall security and efficiency of the examination process​.

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