National Test House and NHAI Sign MoU to Boost Highway Quality and Safety

To improve standards in highway construction, National Test House (NTH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The agreement focuses on better quality control, transparency and safety in national highway projects. And also supports the India’s vision for the World class infrastructure with various steps.

Why in the news?

The MoU was signed on 30 December 2025 at NHAI Headquarters, New Delhi. It was signed in the presence of senior officials, including Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman of NHAI, and Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General of NTH. The collaboration aims to support the government’s push for high-quality and durable highway infrastructure.

Key Features of the NTH–NHAI MoU

• Under this agreement, NTH will be empanelled as a recognized laboratory for NHAI.
• NHAI can send samples related to highway construction and allied works to NTH for testing and inspection.
• Testing will be carried out at NTH’s regional laboratories and satellite centres located in Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bengaluru, and Varanasi.
• NTH will provide scientific, impartial, and time-bound test results through its online MIS portal as well as physical reports. The MoU also enables online test requests and digital payments, improving efficiency and reducing delays.

Institutional Collaboration and Capacity Building

• The agreement goes beyond testing services.
• It provides for coordination through nodal officers from both organizations.
• NTH experts will participate in NHAI technical committees, contributing scientific inputs to decision-making.
• Both organizations will jointly conduct training programes, workshops, and capacity-building sessions for NHAI officials.
• NTH will also assist in strengthening testing facilities within NHAI laboratories wherever required.

Background: National Test House

• The National Test House was established in 1912.
• It functions under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• NTH is one of India’s oldest and most trusted organisations for scientific testing, quality assurance and calibration.
• With a pan India presence, NTH supports quality assessment across sectors such as construction materials, engineering goods, and industrial products.

Significance of the MoU

• This collaboration is important for India’s infrastructure sector.
• Independent third-party testing helps reduce quality lapses and cost overruns.
• Scientific verification ensures compliance with prescribed standards.
• Better quality assurance leads to safer roads, longer life of highways, and reduced maintenance costs.
• It also improves public trust by enhancing transparency in large infrastructure projects.

Key Data At Glance

Aspect	Details/Points
Why in News?	NTH signed an MoU with NHAI to improve quality, transparency, and safety in national highway construction
Organizations Involved	National Test House (NTH) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
Main Objective	Strengthen quality control and durability of national highway projects
Role of NTH	Empanelled as recognized testing laboratory for NHAI
Testing Coverage	Highway construction materials and allied works
Laboratory Locations	Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Varanasi
About NTH	Capacity Building Training programs and strengthening of NHAI lab facilities
Administrative Ministry	Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

Question

Q. The National Test House functions under which ministry?

A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
B. Ministry of Heavy Industries
C. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry