exam-system-reforms-brook-no-delay

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 leaks are not some isolated aberrations but occur with disturbing regularity, exposing loopholes in the national entrance exam system.

 

The 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 a major embarrassment to the Centre and highlighted the urgent need for reforms.

 

The media reports suggest that in the last five years, there have been over 40 documented instances of paper leaks, spread across 15 states.  This is seen as a betrayal of faith reposed by lakhs of candidates across the country.

 

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.

 

Overhaul the exam system

 

The high-level committee was constituted by the central government in June this year to make recommendations on reforms in the examination process, improving data security protocols, and enhancing the structure and functioning of the much-maligned National Testing Agency (NTA).

 

The move followed the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam after its question paper was found to have been leaked on darknet. Apart from that, there have also been allegations of irregularities in NEET, raising questions over the reliability of the entrance examinations.

 

The committee’s recommendations include a call for improving transparency, infrastructure and exam security, devolution of the role of NTA and more stringent protocols. The panel has said that the “high dependence” on the NTA needs to be reduced so that it conducts only entrance examinations and not recruitment ones.

 

There is also a need to restructure the NTA to improve its efficiency and transparency. 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.  

 

“NTA needs to be manned with internal domain-specific human resources and a leadership team with domain expertise, proven experience and skill sets who should take charge of the testing process in the future,” the committee report said.

 

Involve the States

 

The centralised system has led to severe resentment over the years. It is only fitting that the panel has recommended an election-like tiered collaboration between the Centre and States in managing the security of these examinations.

 

“The Committee recommends that Coordination Committees at State and District levels may be set up with specified roles and responsibilities,” the report said.

 

Digital exam

 

The recommendation to switch over to Digi-Exam, on the lines of Digi-Yatra, is laudable. It makes the examination process foolproof. Such a system will ensure that the candidate writing the exam is the one who joined the programme. It essentially ensures authentication at the stages of application, test and admission.

 

Similarly, 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.

 

The committee has rightly suggested online entrance exams wherever possible, along with a hybrid model that allows question papers to be delivered digitally while answers are recorded on paper if necessary.

 

Increase government oversight

 

The panel’s recommendations are not just limited to NEET reforms but also include long-term measures to secure all entrance tests conducted by the Centre.

 

It recommended increased government oversight in exam administration. This would involve expanding the number of government-operated exam centres, reducing reliance on external service providers, and hiring more permanent staff for the NTA, which currently depends heavily on contractual workers.

 

Presently, the NTA holds exams at government-run schools and colleges, supplemented by AICTE-recognised institutions and, when required, private centres operated by external agencies. However, the panel discourages the use of private centres, favouring a controlled environment for secure exam administration.

 

The recommendations highlight the importance of a secure and efficient system for conducting entrance exams.

 

Our youth deserve a fair chance

 

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. The 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.