Just 39 Permanent Posts: Parliament Reveals NTA Runs on Contract Staff Amid Exam Crisis
Cockroach Janata Party protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday in New Delhi (Image CPI M on X)
By AMIT KUMAR
Ministry of Education tells Rajya Sabha the National Testing Agency has only 39 permanent posts, with 16 newly sanctioned positions yet to be filled through the Central Staffing Scheme.
New Delhi, July 24, 2026 — The Ministry of Education on Friday informed Parliament that the National Testing Agency (NTA), India’s premier entrance examination body, continues to operate with a limited permanent workforce, relying heavily on deputation, contractual employees and outsourced staff even as it conducts some of the country’s largest competitive examinations.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar said the NTA has only 39 permanent posts, all of which are filled through deputation rather than direct recruitment.
The government also disclosed that 16 additional posts have recently been created to strengthen the agency. These include eight Director-level posts and eight Joint Director-level posts, which are yet to be filled through the Central Staffing Scheme.
The reply indicates that despite its expanding responsibilities, the NTA still depends significantly on temporary manpower.
According to the ministry, the agency currently employs 73 contractual personnel and 124 outsourced staff, in addition to the officers on deputation.
The contractual workforce includes senior advisers, consultants, communication professionals, software developers and young professionals, while outsourced staff perform functions ranging from data analysis to legal and administrative support.
The government further stated that the NTA also mobilises thousands of field-level personnel—including observers, city coordinators, centre superintendents and members of State and District Level Coordination Committees—to conduct examinations across the country in coordination with states, Union Territories and educational institutions.
The staffing details assume significance as the NTA remains under scrutiny following controversies over examination paper leaks and demands for structural reforms.
The ministry informed Parliament that since its inception in 2018, the NTA has conducted more than 270 examinations, covering over 6.6 crore candidate registrations.
In 2026 alone, the agency has conducted 12 examinations involving more than 65 lakh registrations. The ministry also said NEET (UG) 2026 was held at 5,432 centres across 565 cities in 13 languages, while the re-examination conducted on June 21 was declared successfully completed.
The parliamentary reply highlights the growing mismatch between the NTA’s expanding workload and its limited permanent administrative capacity, even as the Centre has promised major reforms to restore public confidence in India’s examination system.
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