The Maharashtra government on Friday announced the formation of state-level and district-Level coordination committees to ensure the seamless and transparent conduct of national-level entrance examinations such as Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), and Common University Entrance Test (CUET). These entrance exams, administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), play a crucial role in higher education admissions across India.

According to a government resolution (GR) issued by the Department of Higher and Technical Education, the state-level coordination committee will be chaired by a Nodal Officer (Civil) nominated by the Chief Secretary. Other members include the Commissioner of the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell, an Additional Commissioner of Police, a Nodal Officer from NTA, a state-level National Informatics Centre (NIC) officer, a Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) officer, and additional co-opted members as required.

According to the GR, the committee is tasked with preventing question paper leaks, ensuring a foolproof examination system, reviewing the functioning of district-level committees, and submitting reports to the NTA. It will also coordinate with law enforcement agencies and establish a direct hotline between key officials to enhance security measures. 

“Additionally, it is responsible for monitoring district-level coordination efforts and preparing a comprehensive report with recommendations to be submitted to the NTA. The committee will ensure that security protocols are followed rigorously, including the safe transportation of examination materials with police escort,” the GR notes.

On the other hand, the district-level coordination committee will be chaired by the respective District Collector and include the Superintendent of Police, a district NTA nodal officer, the District Education Officer, a District IB officer, and a District NIC officer. This committee will oversee the selection of examination centres, ensure security measures, coordinate logistics for the transportation of question papers and answer sheets, and set up CCTV monitoring at exam venues. 

The district-level committee will also ensure that examination centres are selected based on past performance, verify the backgrounds of property owners, and coordinate security measures with intelligence agencies. “Examination centres will be sealed under district administration and police supervision and will only be opened in the presence of designated officials. Additionally, CCTV monitoring centres will be established at the district level, with all footage submitted to the NTA for review,” the GR states.

Both committees have been directed to commence operations immediately and work in close coordination with each other to ensure the smooth execution of national-level exams in Maharashtra. The committees have also been tasked to establish emergency communication protocols, including direct access to the NTA communication cell for real-time issue resolution.