Who Is Pradeep Singh Kharola? New Director General Of National Testing Agency

Who is Pradeep Singh Kharola?

Following allegations of paper leak and in view of continuous mounting pressure by protesting students, the Ministry of Education on Saturday announced to replace the National Testing Agency's Director General Subodh Kumar Singh with Pradeep Singh Kharola. But who is Pradeep Singh Kharola, his name started trending on the internet as people were curious to know who will take charge of the examination conducting body, which is already facing the heat.

Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that NTA is under scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the NEET and NET exams and today, the government made the big decision.

About Pradeep Singh Kharola:

Pradeep Singh Kharola, an IAS officer from the 1985 batch of the Karnataka cadre, took the helm of Air India in November 2017. Under his leadership, the government's initial effort to privatize Air India did not succeed, as reported by Mint.

In 2019, Kharola transitioned to the role of civil aviation secretary. Since 2022, he has been serving as the chairman of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). Additionally, Kharola has been given the temporary responsibility of overseeing the testing agency until a permanent appointment is made.

About NTA:

The National Testing Agency (NTA), established in November 2017 under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860, is an independent body that was set up to conduct various entrance exams for higher education admissions fairly.

NTA conducts NEET, JEE, CTET, GATE, GPAT, GMAT, CAT, UGC-NET, and CSIR-UGC NET examinations.