The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts major entrance examinations such as NEET UG, CUET and JEE Main, has only 39 permanent posts, all filled through deputation, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha.

Responding to an unstarred question by CPI(M) MP Dr V. Sivadasan, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said the agency supplements its permanent workforce with contractual, outsourced and field-level personnel. The government also said the NTA has conducted more than 270 examinations since its establishment in 2018, handling over 6.6 crore candidate registrations.

NTA Operates With Deputation-Based Core Workforce

The Centre said all 39 permanent positions in the NTA are occupied through deputation.

These include one Director General, two Joint Secretaries, eight Directors, six Joint Directors and Research Scientists, three Deputy Directors, two Assistant Directors and two Senior Superintendents, among other posts.

To strengthen the agency’s functioning, the government said it has created 16 additional senior-level positions.

Contractual and Outsourced Staff Support Operations

Besides its permanent cadre, the NTA has engaged 73 contractual personnel, including advisers, consultants, software developers and young professionals.

Another 124 personnel have been outsourced for roles such as data analysts, legal associates, junior consultants and housekeeping staff.

The ministry said the agency also relies on a large network of examination personnel during test cycles, including observers, city coordinators, centre superintendents and members of State and District Level Coordination Committees.

These officials are deployed in coordination with state governments, centrally funded higher educational institutions, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to conduct examinations across the country.

More Than 270 Exams Conducted Since 2018

According to the government, the NTA has conducted over 270 examinations since it was established in 2018, covering more than 6.6 crore candidate registrations.

In 2026 alone, the agency has so far conducted 12 examinations involving more than 65 lakh registrations.

The Centre cited NEET UG 2026 as an example of the scale of NTA’s operations. The examination was held on May 3 at 5,432 centres across 565 cities in 13 languages. Following a re-examination on June 21, the results were declared on July 16.

Financial Scale Has Expanded

The government also informed Parliament that the agency’s finances have grown significantly alongside the expansion of its examination responsibilities.

NTA reported an income of Rs 1,116.84 crore and expenditure of Rs 1,040.95 crore in 2023-24, compared with an income of Rs 504.16 crore and expenditure of Rs 440.20 crore in 2019-20.

The figures indicate a steady increase in the financial scale of the agency’s operations as it continues to conduct some of India’s largest entrance examinations.

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