NTA gets 2 directors, joint director as Centre reshapes exam agency after NEET row

The Centre has appointed two directors and a joint director to the National Testing Agency amid continuing scrutiny over NEET and other examinations. The appointments come as the government prepares a major overhaul of NTA's examination system, including a new four-tier paper checking process and changes to its expert panel.NTA has appointed 2 directors and a joint director as the Centre overhauls the exam system. (l to r: Prasanna Venkatesh V (facebook/100077799128874), Ravi Kumar Singh (X/@ravisingh04), Amit Samdariya (linkedin/amit-samdariya))The Centre has appointed two directors and a joint director to the National Testing Agency (NTA) as the examination body faces continued scrutiny over NEET and other exam-related concerns.The appointments come at a time when the government is preparing a major overhaul of the agency's examination system.THREE OFFICERS APPOINTED TO NTAAccording to separate orders issued by the personnel ministry on August 27, Ravi Kumar Singh, an Indian Police Service officer, and Prasanna Venkatesh V, an Indian Administrative Service officer, have been appointed as directors in the NTA.Amit Samdariya, a 2016 batch Indian Revenue Service officer from Customs and Indirect Taxes, has been appointed as joint director. The three officers have been directed to take charge of their new positions within three weeks of the orders being issued.The orders state that failure to join within the stipulated period could result in the "process of debarment from the Central Staffing Scheme" being initiated.WHO IS RAVI KUMAR SINGH? Ravi Kumar Singh is a 2012-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories cadre.A direct recruit through the UPSC Civil Services Examination, he served as DCP, Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police, at Pay Level 13 before joining the NTA as Director.He joined the IPS in September 2012 and has around 14 years of service.WHO IS PRASANNA VENKATESH V?Prasanna Venkatesh V is a 2012-batch IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre. An agriculture graduate from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he has held several administrative posts, including District Collector and District Magistrate of Eluru, Municipal Commissioner of Vijayawada and Joint Collector of Kurnool.Before joining the NTA as Director, he served as Secretary, Social Welfare Department and AP Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (APSWREIS), Guntur.WHO IS AMIT SAMDARIYA?Amit Samdariya is a 2016-batch Indian Revenue Service officer from the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre. He studied mechanical engineering from IIT Delhi.Before joining the NTA as Joint Director, he was serving as Joint Commissioner at the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence, Delhi Headquarters.He joined the service in 2016 and was promoted from Deputy Commissioner to Joint Commissioner in May 2026.NTA SET FOR EXAM SYSTEM OVERHAULThe appointments come shortly after the government announced a comprehensive overhaul of the NTA's examination system.Among the planned changes is a four-tier paper checking process, aimed at adding more layers of scrutiny to question papers.The government has also decided to remove around 600 experts and bring in domain specialists as part of the restructuring.The NTA has faced intense scrutiny in recent years over examination irregularities, including the controversy surrounding the NEET paper leak.The latest appointments therefore come as the testing agency prepares to implement changes aimed at tightening its examination processes and rebuilding confidence among students and exam aspirants.- EndsPublished On: Aug 28, 2026 17:26 IST