The Union Cabinet cleared a proposal on October 10 to set up a National Testing Agency (NTA). This may relieve the CBSE, AICTE and other agencies from the responsibility of conducting entrance examinations like the Joint Engineering Entrance (JEE), NEET, UGC's National Eligibility Test (twice a year), Central Teacher Eligibility Test (twice a year) and the entrance test for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Board exams will continue to be conducted by the CBSE. The government said in a statement that the NTA may help introduce a better system for assessing the aptitude, intelligence, and problem-solving abilities of students. The official statement said the NTA will be created as a society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustaining premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions. The NTA would initially conduct those entrance examinations which are currently being conducted by the CBSE. Other examinations will be taken up gradually by the NTA. Under the NTA, the entrance examinations will be conducted in online mode at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best, said the statement. To serve the requirements of rural students, the NTA would locate the centers at sub-district and district level and as far as possible would undertake hands-on training for the students. The NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by Human Resources Development Ministry. The CEO will be the Director-General, who will be appointed by the government and there will be a Board of Governors comprising members from user institutions. The Director-General of this body will be assisted by nine verticals headed by academicians and experts. The NTA will be given a one-time grant of Rs 25 crore from the central government to start its operation in the first year. Thereafter, it has to turn itself into a financially self-sustainable institution.