The National Testing Agency (NTA) may soon conduct JEE Advanced exam apart from JEE Main and NEET. Currently, JEE Advanced is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has written to all IITs regarding this but they are yet to take a decision in this regard. A letter has also been sent to the IIMs to check if the CAT can also be conducted by NTA.
“Although the cabinet has decided that initially the NTA will conduct the exams currently being conducted by CBSE, it may be decided whether the IIT system would like to entrust the conduct of JEE-Advanced exams to NTA with a condition that the setting of the question papers and the proctoring would continue to vest with the IIT system,” reads the letter sent by the ministry.
The ministry has asked all the IITs to discuss the matter and convey their decision by December 15. “The NTA is yet to become completely operational and we are not very sure about handing over the charge to them. We have been given time and we will decide by then,” an IIT director said.
According to the letter, NTA was being registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with IITs, IIMs, IISERs and centrally funded universities as joint owners of the organisation. The ministry has already taken necessary steps for NTA to be operational soon and also will provide the necessary support for its effective operation.
“The tests to be conducted by NTA will be online, duly scrutinised and standardised. The test design will be done scientifically and as per user requirements,” the letter read.
Earlier this month, the union cabinet cleared the proposal for the creation of National Testing Agency that will conduct all entrance tests of which mostly are conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education.
