National Talent Search Scheme
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established
by the Government of India in the year 1961 with a view to bringing about qualitative
improvement in school education in the country.
No sooner the Council was set up than itmounted a number of programmes in this direction. One such programme was to identify and nurture the talented students. This programme took up the shape of a scheme called National Science Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) in the year 1963 which provided for the identification of talented students and awarding them with scholarships. During the first year of the implementation of the scheme, it was confined to the Union Territory of Delhi wherein only
10 scholarships were awarded to the Class XI students. In the year 1964 the scheme was extended to all the states and the union territories in the country with 350 scholarships for the students of Class XI. These scholarships were awarded on the basis of a written examination, a project report and interview. The written examination comprised the Science Aptitude Test and an Essay on a given scientific theme. The candidates were to submit the project report at the time of the written examination. A stipulated number of candidates selected on the basis of these three components were then subjected to personal interview. The performance of the candidates on these four components was eventually employed for the purpose of awarding scholarship. These scholarships were awarded for pursuing education only in basic science up to doctoral level.
Consequent upon the introduction of 10+2+3 pattern of education, the NSTS scheme also underwent a change in the year 1976. It was no longer confined to only basic sciences but was extended to social sciences, engineering and medicine as well. It was renamed as National Talent Search Scheme
(NTSS). Since the education system in the country was undergoing a change, the scheme was made open to the students of Classes X, XI and XII and separate examinations were conducted for each class. The number of scholarships was raised to 500. The selection procedure was also changed. Now the candidates were subjected to two objective type written tests namely the Mental Ability Test (MAT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). A stipulated number of candidate qualifying these two tests were subjected to face-to-face interview. The final awards were made on the basis of composite scores obtained in the MAT, the SAT and the interview.
The number of scholarships was again enhanced from 500 to 550 in the year 1981. These 50
scholarships were exclusively meant for scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. The number of scholarships was once again escalated to 750 in the year 1983 with a provision of 70 scholarships especially for SC/ST candidates. This arrangement continued until the scheme was decentralised in the year 1985.
An experience of over two decades of the scheme brought it to the forefront that a large number
of scholarships were restricted to certain pockets of the country and many areas remained
unrepresentative. In the light of this, the scheme was recast in 1985.
The scheme, which until now was completely centralized, was partially decentralized and
was confined to only Class X. Under the new arrangement the selection of candidates for the
awards became a two-tier process. The states and the union territories were entrusted with the
responsibility of conducting the first tier screening examination known as State Level Talent
Search Examination. Each State and Union Territory was to select and recommend a stipulated
number (as per state quota) of candidates for the national level examination to be conducted for
about 3000 candidates by the NCERT. The number of scholarships, however still continued to be
750 including 70 for SC/ST
candidates.
The state and the union territory quota was to be computed proportionately on the basis of
the student enrolment at secondary level with a minimum of 10 for a union territory and 25 for a
state and a maximum of 500 for either of the two. This quota was to be reviewed every three
years.
The states and union territories had complete autonomy to design and conduct their
written examinations. However, they were advised to follow the national pattern which
comprised MAT and SAT. The MAT, which consisted of 100 multiple choice type questions,
was to be attempted by all the candidates. The SAT consisted of 200 questions containing 25
multiple choice type questions each on eight subject areas namely Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Civics and Economics. The candidates could choose
any four out of these eight subjects and had to answer a total of 100 questions in the SAT.
A stipulated number of candidates who qualified at the national level examination
were
called for face-to-face interview. The award of scholarships was finally determined on the basis
of the candidates’ scores obtained in all the three components namely the MAT, the SAT and the
Interview.
A crucial modification in the scheme was again made in the year 1995 when the
provision of choice in the SAT was abolished and all the subjects were made compulsory. These
subjects were Science, Social Science and Mathematics with 40, 40 and 20 questions respectively.
In the year 2000, the number of scholarships was raised from 750 to 1000 with the provision of
reservation for SC and ST candidates based on the national norms of 15 per cent and 7½
per cent respectively. In the year 2019 the number of scholarship was raised from 1000 to 2000.
Yet another change in the scheme brought in 2006. The scheme was modified by shifting the
scheme from Class X to Class VIII. The National Talent Search Examination held at the end of Class
VIII from the year 2007 onwards. However, the NCERT conducted two more examinations for
Class X students in the selection year 2007 and 2008 in order to give on opportunity to those
who were presently in Classes X and IX. The class VIII MAT and SAT
consisted of 90 questions each. SAT had 35 questions for Social Science, 35 for science and 20 for Mathematics. Quota for a state was computed proportionally on the basis of student enrolment in Classes VII and VIII. The amount of Scholarship has been enhanced to Rs 500/- per month for all the students studying in Class IX onwards (irrespective of the class/course) except for Ph.D., wherein it was paid as per UGC norms. The criterion of parental income for deciding payment of scholarship was discontinued. Book grant was also discontinued.
From the year 2008, examination, a provision of 3 per cent reservation for Physically
Challenged (PC) Students has been made. Once again in 2013 NTS Exam was shifted to class X
and Language Test (English/Hindi) was included as an additional component along with Mental
Ability Test and Scholastic Test. Language Test was qualifying in nature and the scores of
language test were not included in deciding final merit. In the year 2014 negative marking was
introduced for the first time at the stage II national level examination, wherein 1/3 marks were
deducted for every wrong answer and no marks were deducted for unattempted questions.
In the year 2014-15 the rates of scholarships were increased from Rs. 500 to the following
rates for various stages of education.
a) Scholarship of Rs. 1250/- per months for class XI and XII.
b) Scholarship of Rs. 2000/- per month for UG and PG.
c) Scholarship for students pursuing Ph.D in accordance with UGC norms.
In 2015 minimum qualifying marks for SC/ST/PH candidates were increased from 32% to
35%. In 2017 4% reservation to Physical Challenged Category was implemented
for
group of students, with benchmark disabilities of which, one per cent each shall be
reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses (a), (b) and (c) and one per
cent for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses (d) and (e) namely:
a) blindness and low vision;
b) deaf and hard of
hearing;
c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack
victims
and muscular dystrophy;
d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental
illness;
e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including
deaf- blindness in the posts identified for each disabilities.
In the year 2018 negative marking was abolished, there was increase in time duration of test and
increase the number of
question in MAT and there was change in reporting time for students at the
examination hall from 8 am to 9 am on the day of examination. In the same year initiative for
downloading E-Admit Cards from NCERT website was implemented.
From the year 2018-19 reservation to Other Backward Class (OBC) will be implemented in the NTS
scheme. Besides, There will be reservations for OBCs @27% from the year 2019 as per
central norms subject to the income limit notified by the Government of India from time to time
for determination of the creamy layer for the purpose of OBC Reservation vide its letter No.
15-19/2014.Sch-4 dated November 2, 2017.
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