National Testing Agency

News:National Testing Agency has sought permission from the Central Government to use Aadhaar data for the 2020 NEET exam.

Facts:

About National Testing Agency:

• National Testing Agency (NTA) was established as a Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• It is an autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions.
• It aims to conduct efficient, transparent and international standards tests in order to assess the competency of candidates for admission and recruitment purposes.

Composition:

• NTA is chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by the Ministry of HRD.
• The CEO will be the Director General to be appointed by the Government.
• There will be a Board of Governors comprising members from user institutions.
• The Director General will be assisted by 9 verticals headed by academicians/ experts.

Significance of NTA:

• Establishment of a specialized testing body like NTA has relieved the agencies such as CBSE, AICTE of their responsibilities of conducting Entrance examinations.
• NTA has also launched a ‘mobile app’ and Test Practice Centres(TPC’s) through which students can practice or take mock tests on their own computers or smartphones.