The return of National talent search exam

03/06/2023

The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) - to scout for and support school level talent is set to make a comeback in a new avatar, offering a higher number of scholarships to students from younger age, and ensuring increased representation of girls and rural students.
The government may opt for a single national-level exam instead of a two stage one earlier.
The education ministry is also considering holding the new NTSE at class 8 level instead of class 10 and "nurturing" the selected students right through class 12, with added assistance of its stellar pool of alumni, it is learnt.
NTSE a reputed exam to identify, nurture and give financial support to meritorious science and social science school students was put on hold in 2021 amid reports raising concerns over its urban and gender tilt.
In the revamped NTSE, a more district-centric approach is planned to ensure a more representative pool of selected students.
It is proposed that scholarships be distributed per district in the ratio reflecting the population of rural and urban children. A similar ratio is likely to be used to set aside scholership share for girls and boys.
Towards the same end, it is further proposed that the Centre fully take over the NTSE testing system with a single national level exam delivered across schools.
So far, NTSE involved a two stage selection process with states conducting the first round as per their own norms. Students recommended thereafter by the states were eligible for final Stage 2 exam conducted by the National Council for Education Research & Training (NCERT).
Reports showed that NTSE has been considerably successful in identifying talent, motivating children and helping them financially.
However, it was also red flagged that the selection process was not reaching as many talented students in remote areas as desired, especially girl students and often those in government school systems.
REVAMP REASON
A third-party evaluation of NTSE by Centre for Market Research & Social Development (CMSD) in 2021 that showed a wide variation in the benefit spread over the last decade is a case in point.
It showed that 31.5% awardees are from the North and Central Zone, 28.0% from West Zone, 22.6% from South Zone, and 13.6% from East Zone. The Northern Hilly States Zone and North East Zone accounted for just 1.3% and 1.1% awardees, respectively, this report submitted to NCERT showed.
Further, 88% of the surveyed awardees were found to be from the urban areas while only 12% were from the rural area.
On the gender front, of the total 10,924 students who benefited in ten years, 8,661 (79%) were boys. and only 2,263 (21%) were girls.
A 2017 evaluation of the scheme by Academy of Management Studies (AMS) had also said "girls have remained under represented in the list of awardees" and pointed to a decline of five percentage points in awardees coming from rural areas, from 17% in 2007 to 12% in 2013.
It also said private unaided schools exhibited a dominant presence over the years, while Government schools remained grossly under-represented.
The AMS report also said the average number of students being offered the scholarship has remained "abysmally low" at only 5-6 awardees per 100, 000 students enrolled, which indicated that a vast number of deserving students have remained deprived of this important benefit.
The above reports also recommended opening the talent search scheme at an earlier level of class 5 or class 8.
An August 2021 review meeting of NCERT took note of both the third party evaluation reports and their recommendations to increase number of scholarships and recon-figure awardee selection ratio for more gender inclusivity.
While an online exam format has also been discussed in the government, the Centre Government is likely to continue with an OMR-based pen and paper test to ensure accessibility of the test to rural students.
NTSE 1963 ONWARDS
The exam to talent hunt school- children from across the country has been around in some format or the other since 1963, with modifications over the years.
As in the year 2020, NTSE was conducted for class 10 students. Merito-rious students were selected after a two-stage selection process and awarded scholarships for pursuing courses in science and social science up to doctoral level and in professional courses like medicine and engineering up to second-degree level.
2,000 scholarships were awarded last, with reservation of 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 27% for other backward classes, and 4% for a group of students with benchmark disabilities.
A scholarship of 1,250 was awarded per month for class XI and XII, 2,000 per month for under graduation and post graduation, and as per UGC norms for higher studies.
(Writer is a Retired Principal & Educationist. Views expressed are personal)

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