NTA Appoints Two Joint Secretaries, Joint Directors After NEET-UG Paper Leak Row

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday appointed two new Joint Secretaries and two new Joint Directors amid the NEET-UG paper leak row, which prompted the agency to cancel the medical examination.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of two senior officers as Joint Secretaries in the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the Department of Higher Education.

• Anuja Bapat of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), 1998 batch, was appointed after a vacant post of Deputy Secretary/Director was temporarily upgraded to Joint Secretary level. The upgrade is valid for an initial period of two years
• Ruchita Vij, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 2004 batch, has been appointed as Joint Secretary for a tenure of five years by temporarily upgrading a vacant post of Deputy Secretary/Director for an initial period of two years.

The ACC also approved the appointment of two new Joint Directors:

• Akash Jain, an IRS officer of 2013 batch, has been appointed as Joint Director in NTA under the Department of Higher Education on a “lateral shift” basis for a tenure of up to December 4, 2029, under the Central Staffing Scheme at Deputy Secretary level).
• Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhiya, an Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) officer of the 2013 batch, has been appointed as a Joint Director under the Department of Higher Education under the Central Staffing Scheme on a ‘lateral shift’ basis for a tenure up to May 16, 2028.

The appointments came after the NTA faced extensive criticism, following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026-27 examination over allegations that the paper had been leaked and circulated across multiple states.

According to investigators, the alleged leak network originated in Pune,

where the examination paper was first reportedly sold to Nashik-based Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student Shubham Khairnar. The probe, initially handled by local authorities, was later transferred to the CBI by the Centre.

The CBI has detained multiple accused linked to Pune as investigators attempt to uncover the wider network behind the alleged leak. Earlier today, the CBI arrested Pune-based Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare from Delhi.