Editorial: Reforming the examination system

Repeated breaches are not just administrative failures but also a betrayal of the trust that students place in the system

India’s examination system carries a double whammy; enormous stress for the candidates and potential erosion of public faith due to frequent paper leakages and other irregularities. This needs to be fixed. The cases of question paper leak are not isolated, but rather part of a long history of incidents. Recent instances of cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examination and allegations of paper leak and malpractices in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) have caused major embarrassment to the Centre and highlighted the urgent need for overhauling the system. Against this backdrop, the recommendations by a seven-member expert panel, led by former ISRO chief Dr K Radhakrishnan, to reform the examination system are largely welcome. The committee’s recommendations include a call for improving transparency, infrastructure and exam security, devolution of the role of National Testing Agency (NTA) and more stringent protocols. The committee has said that the “high dependence” on the NTA be reduced so that it conducts only entrance examinations and not recruitment ones. Since it was set up in 2018, the NTA has conducted 244 tests. The number of candidates registered for these tests has nearly doubled from an average of 67 lakh per year in 2019-2021 to 122 lakh per year in 2022-23. This makes it particularly vulnerable to malpractices and corruption because the NTA relies on third-party service providers. The committee has also recommended an election-like tiered collaboration between the Centre and States in managing the security of these examinations and a ‘digi-exam’ system that replicates the DigiYatra model for biometric verification of candidates.

A migration to “computer adaptive testing” where questions based on individual ability are queued has also been recommended. This ability is determined and updated based on responses during the test. The panel has advocated for a comprehensive review of the examination process, including the creation of a more robust security system and accessible digital infrastructure. This is a step in the right direction. Experience shows that the gap between infrastructure and execution, aspiration and opportunity creates fertile grounds for exploitation. The panel has rightly called for multi-session testing, spread over a few days to a couple of weeks, and multi-stage testing (like JEE Main and Advanced) for NEET-UG. According to media reports, over the past seven years, more than 70 examination papers have been illicitly disclosed in various States, resulting in adverse consequences for the professional prospects of over 1.7 crore individuals. Instances of leaked exam papers and answer keys are frequently shared on social media platforms. Fixing inadequacies and regaining trust in the institutions is of paramount importance. Repeated breaches in the examination process are not just administrative failures but also a betrayal of the trust that students place in the system. The youth deserve a fair chance to prove their merit without the shadow of corruption and other malpractices.

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