NEW DELHI: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has decided to review the implementation of a high-level committee report on reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak this year.
Vineet Joshi, Secretary in the Education Ministry’s Department of Higher Education, and NTA chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi are scheduled to appear before the committee on May 21.
The committee will review the implementation of a 2024 report submitted by a seven-member committee headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.
The committee, formed after a NEET-UG paper leak in 2024, had recommended measures to strengthen the NTA and ensure smooth conduct of public exams.
In a report presented in Parliament last year, the committee had noted that the NTA “has not inspired much confidence”.
The report noted that the Agency collected Rs 3,512.98 crore in the last six years, and spent Rs 3,064.77 crore, with a surplus of Rs 448 crore.
I have given notice of question of privilege under Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States against the Union Minister of Education for having lowered the dignity of Parliament and Parliamentary Committees. He has made these outrageous… pic.twitter.com/UdkFW6g1tc
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 18, 2026
The panel recommended that this sum be used to build the NTA’s capabilities to conduct tests itself, or strengthen regulatory and monitoring capabilities for its vendors.
Privilege notice
Meanwhile, Congress chief whip in Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh has moved a privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for allegedly lowering the dignity of Parliament with remarks made at a press conference after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, a PTI report said.