Education minister Pralhad Joshi chairs first meeting over NTA-related concerns, aims for stronger exam systems

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was recently given the additional portfolio of education minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned due to the NEET protests.

Updated on: Aug 10, 2026, 09:16:27 IST

By Sanjay Maurya

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Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who was recently given the additional portfolio of education ministry, on Sunday held his first meeting with officials on “matters concerning” the National Testing Agency (NTA) and discussed steps for stronger mechanism, streamlines processes, and better student support.

Recently, the testing body has faced criticism over the alleged NEET-UG exam 2026 paper leak in May and is currently facing students’ complaints about over a month delays in releasing provisional answer keys for UGC-NET June 2026 session.

The meeting was held in the office of ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, new and renewable energy.

Also Read | Pralhad Joshi gets education ministry charge as Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation accepted

Pralhad Joshi shares details

“Convened a meeting with the Secretary and senior officials of @EduMinOfIndia on matters concerning the National Testing Agency (NTA). Deliberated on key matters requiring attention and the steps ahead to further strengthen institutional mechanisms, streamline processes and ensure greater responsiveness to students,” Joshi said on X.

“Our focus remains on building a robust, transparent and credible examination ecosystem that serves the aspirations of every student,” he said.

Also Read | PM Modi, new education minister Pralhad Joshi to attend IIT-Delhi convocation today

Pralhad Joshi, who serves as minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution; and new and renewable energy, was appointed as education minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post on July 25. Pradhan resigned from his post following 36-days Cockroach Janta Party-led student protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding his ouster over the NEET paper leak controversy.

NTA director general (DG) Abhishek Singh and Vineet Joshi, who continue to serve as higher education secretary despite being formally ordered on July 23 to join the ministry of panchayati raj as secretary by August 1, were among the officials who attended the meeting.

When asked whether the issue of delay in UGC-NET exam’s answer keys and results was discussed, a senior NTA official told HT, “No.” “Whatever is discussed in the meeting is mentioned in the [minister’s] tweet,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Vineet Joshi did not respond to HT’s queries for a comment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanjay Maurya
Sanjay Maurya is a Principal Correspondent with Hindustan Times, where he covers education, with a focus on school and higher education, competitive examinations, education policy and governance. Working as part of the National Bureau, he is based in New Delhi and reports on the Ministry of Education and covers various statutory bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE and autonomous bodies like CBSE and NCERT. His reporting also tracks the implementation of key government reforms and policies from school education to higher education including in IITs, NITs, IIMs, central and state universities, and their impact on students and educational institutions. His reporting on the irregularities and rushed implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluation of Class 12 board exams 2026, triggered administrative action, leading to the transfer of the board's two senior-most officials and the constitution of a committee to probe alleged irregularities in procurement process of the system. He joined Hindustan Times in December 2024. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint at Careers360, where he reported on school and higher education, entrance examinations, admissions, rankings and various education policies involving universities and professional education bodies. Over the years, Maurya has reported extensively on major developments in India's education sector, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, changes in school education, higher education regulation, and the evolution of entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CUET. He regularly produces data-driven and explanatory stories based on government documents, parliamentary proceedings, court records and official data. His focus remains on helping readers understand how education policies and institutional decisions affect millions of students, teachers and educational institutions across the country.Read More

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