NTA Sacks 47 Officials in NEET Paper Leak Crackdown; Criminal Action Planned as Centre Launches Sweeping Examination Reforms
In a major administrative crackdown following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has terminated 47 officials and announced that legal and criminal proceedings will be initiated against some of those found responsible for lapses or misconduct. The move marks one of the most significant disciplinary actions in the agency’s history and forms part of a wider effort by the Centre to restore confidence in India’s competitive examination system.
According to senior government officials, the dismissals are only the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul of the NTA. Authorities indicated that further personnel changes, institutional reforms and stricter accountability measures are expected in the coming weeks as investigations into the examination irregularities continue. The objective, officials said, is to strengthen governance, improve transparency and prevent future breaches in high-stakes national examinations.
The crackdown comes amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, which sparked widespread outrage among students, parents and opposition parties. The controversy led to the cancellation of the original examination, a nationwide re-test involving millions of candidates, and intensified demands for accountability within both the NTA and the Ministry of Education.
Officials familiar with the restructuring said criminal proceedings will be launched against individuals where evidence indicates serious wrongdoing or deliberate involvement in examination-related irregularities. Investigations are expected to be carried out in coordination with law enforcement agencies, while disciplinary proceedings will continue against others whose actions are found to have compromised the integrity of the examination process.
As part of its institutional rebuilding, the NTA has begun recruiting specialists in cybersecurity, forensic investigation, assessment research and test-centre management. The agency has advertised positions for four General Managers and sixteen Young Professionals through the Union Public Service Commission’s Pratibha Setu platform. Officials say these appointments are intended to modernise examination security, strengthen digital safeguards and improve operational oversight.
The reforms are also expected to extend beyond staffing changes. The NTA has initiated fresh empanelment of subject matter experts and translators while planning additional recruitment across multiple functional divisions recommended by a high-level committee constituted to review examination practices. The government believes these structural changes will help build a more resilient and transparent examination system capable of detecting and preventing organised paper leak networks.
The disciplinary action has unfolded alongside broader political developments. Student organisations continue to protest across the country, arguing that administrative reforms alone are insufficient and demanding greater political accountability for the examination crisis. Opposition parties have also renewed calls for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, while the government has defended its reform agenda, highlighting the dismissals and proposed anti-paper leak legislation as evidence of its commitment to restoring public trust.
In parallel with the NTA’s internal action, the Delhi Police has constituted a Special Task Force to investigate examination paper leaks and related offences. Authorities say the dedicated unit will focus on organised examination fraud, identify criminal networks involved in leaks and strengthen coordination among investigative agencies handling education-related offences.
Education experts have described the dismissal of 47 officials as an unprecedented step but caution that restoring confidence will require sustained institutional reform, robust digital security, transparent investigations and timely prosecution of those responsible. With millions of students depending on fair and credible entrance examinations, the success of the NTA’s restructuring will ultimately be judged not by the number of officials removed but by its ability to ensure that future examinations remain secure, transparent and merit-based.
