New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought a progress report on the reforms being considered for the National Testing Agency (NTA), including the work of a high-powered committee headed by Nandan Nilekani, while indicating that the bench may visit the agency’s headquarters to assess its systems and infrastructure.
A bench of justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe was hearing petitions concerning the conduct and integrity of the NEET-UG examination and structural reforms in NTA.
Appearing on behalf of the central government, solicitor general Tushar Mehta apprised the bench that the Nilekani-led panel had conducted extensive consultations and was likely to submit its first report by the end of September.
The bench directed the joint secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is coordinating with the committee, to file an affidavit setting out the progress made so far. The affidavit should be filed in two weeks.
The bench also indicated that it wanted to examine NTA’s functioning firsthand. After being informed that the agency has a separate permanent facility near Minto Road in New Delhi, justice Narasimha said he and justice Aradhe would visit the premises to ascertain whether the systems, infrastructure and manpower claimed by the Centre were in place and functioning.
The court stressed that institutionalisation of the examination system was central to the reform process. It observed that NTA should have a permanent organisational structure, permanent staff and dedicated functional verticals, with limited reliance on deputationists.
The Centre informed the bench that NTA’s structure had been upgraded and steps had been taken to strengthen its infrastructure and administrative systems. However, it was submitted that while permanence of the physical structure had been ensured, human resources were only partially in place.
The apex court bench emphasised that recommendations of expert committees should not remain confined to reports, but should be evaluated and translated into concrete institutional changes.
