NTA Sacks 47 Officials Amid NEET Paper Leak Row; More Action Likely

The Centre has reportedly dismissed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) amid the ongoing controversy over alleged examination paper leaks, with further action expected in the coming days.

According to ANI, citing sources, the dismissed officials will face legal and criminal proceedings as part of the government's crackdown on alleged irregularities in the examination system. The development comes as student protests demanding accountability over the NEET paper leak continue across the country.

In a parallel administrative reshuffle, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved several changes in the bureaucracy across key ministries. Vineet Joshi, who was serving as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Naresh Pal Gangwar will take over as the new Higher Education Secretary, while T.K. Anil Kumar has been appointed Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy.

Among other appointments, K Srinivas has been named Secretary, Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region, Keshav Chandra will head the Ministry of Mines, Chandra Bhushan Kumar has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Sushil Kumar Lohani will serve as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Meanwhile, News18 reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a recent Cabinet meeting, directed Union ministers to strengthen their presence on Instagram and engage more actively with young people through the platform. The Prime Minister reportedly encouraged ministers to post regular updates about government initiatives and create reels and other interactive content to connect with the youth more effectively.