Days after NEET paper leak, Cabinet approves appointment of 4 officers to NTA

NEET-UG, which was held on May 3 for over 22 lakh candidates, was cancelled earlier this week after allegations of a paper leak surfaced.

In the wake of an alleged NEET-UG paper leak resulting in the cancellation of the exam, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of four officers to the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Through orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Saturday, two Joint Secretaries and two Joint Directors have been appointed in the NTA.

Anuja Bapat, a 1998-batch Indian Statistical Service officer, and Ruchita Vij, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) officer, have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in the NTA for a tenure of five years each or until further orders. This has been done by temporarily upgrading vacant Deputy Secretary/Director-level posts in the NTA to the level of Joint Secretary.

Akash Jain, a 2013-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhiya, a 2013-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, have been appointed as Joint Directors in the NTA.

NEET-UG, which was held on May 3 for over 22 lakh candidates, was cancelled earlier this week after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. The matter is now being probed by the CBI, and a retest is to be held on June 21.

With a paper leak hitting NEET-UG in 2024 as well, the NTA, which was set up in 2018, and its staffing have been under scrutiny. A high-level committee of experts constituted in 2024 in the wake of the leak then had recommended restructuring of the NTA, with ten verticals headed by Directors, and two Additional Director Generals.

Going by the response to a question in the Rajya Sabha in March last year, 16 new posts were created in the NTA “for strengthening” of the Agency, eight each at the Director and Joint Director levels. Of the newly created posts, three Joint Directors had joined the Agency. A total of 43 personnel work on contract at the NTA, the response stated.

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In the wake of an alleged NEET-UG paper leak resulting in the cancellation of the exam, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of four officers to the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Through orders issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on Saturday, two Joint Secretaries and two Joint Directors have been appointed in the NTA.

Anuja Bapat, a 1998-batch Indian Statistical Service officer, and Ruchita Vij, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) officer, have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in the NTA for a tenure of five years each or until further orders. This has been done by temporarily upgrading vacant Deputy Secretary/Director-level posts in the NTA to the level of Joint Secretary.

Akash Jain, a 2013-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhiya, a 2013-batch Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer, have been appointed as Joint Directors in the NTA.

NEET-UG, which was held on May 3 for over 22 lakh candidates, was cancelled earlier this week after allegations of a paper leak surfaced. The matter is now being probed by the CBI, and a retest is to be held on June 21.

With a paper leak hitting NEET-UG in 2024 as well, the NTA, which was set up in 2018, and its staffing have been under scrutiny. A high-level committee of experts constituted in 2024 in the wake of the leak then had recommended restructuring of the NTA, with ten verticals headed by Directors, and two Additional Director Generals.

Going by the response to a question in the Rajya Sabha in March last year, 16 new posts were created in the NTA “for strengthening” of the Agency, eight each at the Director and Joint Director levels. Of the newly created posts, three Joint Directors had joined the Agency. A total of 43 personnel work on contract at the NTA, the response stated.