The Ministry of Education has begun tightening the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) examination system after the agency ordered a fresh UGC-NET examination for English, Commerce, and Sociology. The decision followed complaints about serious errors in the question papers.Education Minister Pralhad Joshi held a meeting on Monday with the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, NTA Director General and other senior officials to review the steps being taken to prevent such lapses in future examinations.
NTA removes over 50 staff, brings in new specialists
The NTA has already removed more than 50 staff members as part of the corrective measures. The agency has also advertised 10 new senior positions and is in the process of bringing professionals on board.These posts will cover key areas such as technology, finance, cybersecurity, test security, research and development, and psychometrics.The government is also bringing in experts from the private sector for specialised work, including cybersecurity, psychometrics, and question-paper preparation.The move comes as the NTA faces renewed questions over the way it prepares and conducts some of the country’s biggest examinations.
Government orders overhaul of confidential operations
The Education Ministry has directed the NTA to completely review its confidential operations, known as CONOPS.Officials have been asked to strengthen the systems used to handle sensitive examination material. This includes tighter controls in secluded rooms, greater use of air-gapped computer systems, and stricter rules for depositing and controlling electronic devices.The message from the government is clear: there can be no compromise when it comes to the security of examination material.The Minister has also directed officials to ensure that existing examination protocols are followed strictly.
Question-paper process under review
The NTA has been asked to conduct a detailed audit of its examination system and submit a report on the corrective steps taken.The review will cover the entire question-paper process, including setting, moderation, translation, and composition.This is important because the problems in the three UGC-NET papers were not limited to a single type of error. According to officials, the papers contained factual and typographical mistakes, translation errors, problems with question wording and repeated questions.The government is now looking at how these errors passed through the various stages of checking. The aim is also to fix responsibility wherever lapses are found.
Why NTA ordered UGC-NET retest
The decision to hold the UGC-NET examination again for English, Commerce, and Sociology came after candidates raised complaints about the question papers.An expert committee examined the complaints and found several errors in the three subjects. The problems were considered serious enough that they could not simply be handled by removing defective questions during the answer-key challenge process.As a result, the NTA decided to conduct the examination again instead of trying to correct the papers after the test.For candidates, however, the decision means another round of preparation after they had already appeared for the June examination.
UGC-NET retest on September 9 and 10
The fresh examination will be held on September 9 and 10, 2026. Candidates will not have to pay another examination fee.English will be held on September 9 in the first shift, while Commerce will be conducted in the second shift. Sociology will be held on September 10 in the first shift.The retest has added another layer of uncertainty for candidates who were expecting the June examination process to move towards results.
Results for 84 other subjects not affected
The NTA has clarified that the retest will not delay or affect the result process for the other 84 UGC-NET subjects.The agency has also said that the number of candidates qualifying for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor and PhD eligibility in the three affected subjects will not be reduced because of the fresh examination.This is an important assurance for candidates who may be worried that the retest could change the number of qualifying candidates.
NTA faces test of credibility
The UGC-NET episode has again put the spotlight on the systems used by the NTA to conduct large-scale national examinations.The June 2026 UGC-NET was held from June 22 to 30 across 87 subjects. The examination is used to determine eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor positions and PhD admissions.For candidates, the issue goes beyond one faulty question paper. A national examination is expected to provide a fair and equal opportunity to every candidate. Errors in questions, translations or examination procedures can directly affect that opportunity.The government’s latest measures show that it now wants to address the problem at the source. The real test, however, will be whether the NTA can prevent such mistakes from reaching candidates again.New appointments, audits and stricter security measures can strengthen an examination system. But ultimately, the NTA will have to prove through error-free examinations that its internal checks are actually working.
