After NEET row, NTA invites retired defence personnel to monitor exams

NewsIndia NewsAfter NEET row, NTA invites retired defence personnel to monitor exams After NEET row, NTA invites retired defence personnel to monitor exams Edited by Priyanka Jaiswal / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Nov 12, 2026, 15:10 IST NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is planning a permanent pool of independent examination observers, including retired armed forces and paramilitary personnel and retired government officers, as part of efforts to strengthen examination security following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.The observer's role is separate from and in addition to that of the city coordinator and centre superintendent, with a direct reporting line to the NTA."To meet the requirement in a timely and reliable manner across an annual examination cycle, NTA proposes to build and maintain a standing, pre-verified pool of empanelled Observers, drawn from retired and serving academic and administrative staff of government institutions," the EOI document said.The agency has invited applications under three categories: retired Central and state government officers; retired armed forces and paramilitary personnel; and retired or serving teachers and professors from government schools, colleges and universities.For examination centres located outside India, the NTA will ordinarily empanel observers from among Indian nationals residing in the same city.NTA sets infrastructure norms for exam centres Separately, the NTA has invited institutions and organisations that own, operate or have legally enforceable use-rights over suitable facilities to apply for empanelment as examination centres.

For computer-based tests (CBT), applicants are required to have 285 fully functional computer workstations, including buffer capacity, per shift.For pen-and-paper tests (PPT), a minimum of 250 candidate seats, including buffer capacity, per shift is required.Join conversation InsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig Development CBT centres must have at least four separate computer labs or halls, each with 30 workstations.

For PPT examinations, centres must have at least six separate halls accommodating 40 candidates each, or equivalent configurations.The initiatives come amid efforts to overhaul the national examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, which triggered nationwide student protests and raised questions about the security and integrity of competitive examinations.

Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app. Priyanka Jaiswal has four years of experience in digital journalism, news agency reporting and video production. Currently with The Times of India, she covers public policy, politics and global affairs.

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