The National Testing Agency (NTA) was launched in 2017 to bring fairness and transparency to India’s most competitive exams, after years of paper leaks and cheating scandals. Its goal was to make testing efficient, consistent and trustworthy by adding new oversight mechanisms and standardised processes.
In June 2026 a colossal paper leak ruptured that promise. More than two million students were forced to retake the National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET‑UG) because the paper had been compromised. The incident sparked waves of youth‑led protests, culminating in the resignation of the federal education minister—a dramatic echo of last year’s upheavals.
In response, the government appointed a high‑profile task force headed by tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani to audit the system and propose reforms. Yet many students and experts regard this as déjà vu: the same kind of cycle of crisis, committee and sparse reforms has repeated since 2024.
Digital solutions are a common thread. BJ Rao, head of SGT University and 2024 panel member, argues India must pivot to computer‑based exams, standardising online centres to reduce the risk of paper leaks and human error. He also warns that the NTA’s heavy reliance on contract staff—only 24 of 221 employees are permanent—creates a lack of accountability and continuity in exam management.
Design changes are also on the table. Educators like Keshav Aggarwal propose structuring NEET‑UG like the engineering entrance exam: a two‑stage, computer‑based test that runs on multiple dates with different question sets, thus dispersing the stakes of a single day.
For students it matters more than policy talk. 17‑year‑old Pari, who had to redo her NEET after the leak, said all her preparation went to waste and felt the future was uncertain. 23‑year‑old Mansi Bansal, who prepared for the UGC‑NET, faced a second cancellation after a 2024 leak and must retake her exam in September. Their stories underscore how a single paper leak can derail years of study and financial investment.
Calls for scrapping the NTA altogether have risen, but educationists argue that even a new agency would replicate costs and risk uneven security standards. Former chairman of the university regulator, M Jagadesh Kumar, stresses that a single, well‑staffed national testing body can offer consistent safeguards across the country.
The broader debate is about the viability of a single, high‑stakes exam system in a nation where millions battle for a few university seats. Scholars like Yamini Aiyar propose a model where students can take entrance tests multiple times a year—mirroring practices in many Western countries—to reduce the impact of a single failed examination.
While the Nilekani task force promises to identify gaps, students await tangible reforms that restore their trust and provide multiple chances. The path to a secure, fair and flexible examination system still looks uncertain, but the urgency for change is unmistakable.
