New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI): A parliamentary committee on Tuesday unanimously adopted a draft report on reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) after a tussle between the opposition and ruling alliance members on the grant of statutory status to the Agency.
Sources said opposition members at the meeting of the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports wanted the grant of statutory status to the NTA, while the NDA members objected to it.
The panel adopted the draft report on reforms and strengthening of the NTA after a consensus was reached on the wording of the report, they said without elaborating.
The Committee headed by Congress member Mukul Wasnik had met for the sixth time to discuss and adopt the draft 382nd report (both in Hindi and English), which were earlier circulated via email on August 19, 2026. The report was again re-circulated for members to reach consensus on the same. The panel was earlier headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, under whom two meetings were held to discuss the report on NTA reforms. The Committee had also discussed the implementation of a high-level committee report on reforms to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak this year.
The panel had summoned and examined several top officials of the Ministry of Higher Education and NTA as well as the National Medical Commission (NMC) on the steps taken by the Agency to stop paper leaks in the aftermath of the NEET paper leak. The NEET exam, which was held on May 12 for admission to medical colleges, was cancelled following a paper leak, and the NTA held a re-examination of the same on June 21, after the paper leak triggered widespread concerns among students and their families.
Parl panel asks NGT to use powers on critical environmental concerns
A parliamentary committee has pushed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to “more proactively” use its suo motu powers on critical environmental concerns such as felling of trees for the construction of highways, illegal sand mining and air pollution in the national capital.
The committee has also recommended “stronger follow-up” by the tribunal and the Environment Ministry through regular action-taken reports, effective use of joint committees, clear fixing of responsibility and better ways to ensure that NGT orders are implemented promptly. The department-related parliamentary standing committee on law and personnel tabled its report on ‘Review of Functioning of Tribunal System in the Country’ in both Houses earlier this month.
The committee emphasised the need for the tribunal to use its suo motu (of its own) powers “more proactively” in relation to “critical environmental concerns” such as severe air pollution in Delhi and the Indo-Gangetic plain, illegal sand mining on riverbanks, river pollution, highway tree-felling and loss of indigenous roadside plantations, unregulated high-rise construction in metropolitan cities, pollution and ecological risks in northeastern states, and environmentally sensitive mining. On strengthening compliance with the green panel’s orders, the parliamentary committee felt that compliance with the tribunal’s orders by the concerned authorities should be monitored more closely.
Established in 2010, the NGT is a specialised body for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection, conservation of forests and natural resources.
The tribunal has flexible procedures that enable it to handle complex environmental issues efficiently.
The committee noted that the NGT plays a significant role in ensuring timely environmental justice, reducing the burden on higher courts and improving access to justice through simplified processes, use of technology and time-bound resolution of cases.