NTA relocates Delhi office, overhauls security after ministry review

The National Testing Agency shifts headquarters from Okhla to Minto Road and rolls out CISF deployment, air-gapped systems and device-deposit rules to safeguard confidential examination data following an Education Ministry directive.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has relocated its Delhi headquarters from Okhla to Minto Road, part of a broader push to tighten security around how the agency handles sensitive examination material. The move comes on instructions from the Education Ministry to reinforce systems governing confidential exam-related operations.

The agency's new office now operates from the fifth floor of the Government of India Press Building on Minto Road, New Delhi. The relocation was directed after a review meeting in August led by Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, where officials examined gaps in the agency's operational infrastructure.

NTA oversees some of the country's largest national examinations, including NEET UG, JEE Main and UGC-NET, making the security of its processes a matter of significant public interest. The shift to Minto Road is meant to provide stronger physical and technical safeguards for these operations.

New premises, tighter protocols

As part of the upgraded security framework, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel will now be stationed at the new facility. The agency is also restructuring its Confidential Operations (CONOPS) architecture, which governs how sensitive exam data is managed internally.

Key changes include designated rooms exclusively for confidential work and the use of air-gapped computer systems — machines kept deliberately disconnected from external networks — to prevent unauthorized digital access to exam content. Additionally, staff handling sensitive tasks will now be required to deposit personal electronic devices before entering these secure areas, a measure designed to reduce the risk of leaks.

Ministry orders full audit of exam processes

The security overhaul arrives alongside heightened scrutiny of NTA's broader functioning. The Education Ministry has directed the agency to carry out a comprehensive audit of its examination procedures. Once complete, NTA is expected to submit a formal report outlining corrective steps taken in response to any shortcomings identified.

Officials say the combined measures — spanning physical relocation, personnel deployment, technological isolation of sensitive data, and procedural audits — are designed to close vulnerabilities at multiple stages of the examination lifecycle, from question-paper handling to result processing.

For candidates and other stakeholders needing to reach the agency, NTA's updated address is:

National Testing Agency (NTA), 5th Floor, Government of India Press Building, Minto Road, New Delhi – 110002.

With the relocation complete, the agency's immediate focus now shifts to fully implementing the revised confidentiality framework and reinforcing safeguards across its examination operations, as it works to rebuild confidence in the integrity of India's high-stakes testing systems.