27 Jun. 24: Since its establishment in November 2017, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has conducted around 66 exams, with irregularities reported in at least 12 of them. These issues have impacted more than 75.61 lakh aspirants, find an in-depth story published by The Quint.
On May 5, 21-year-old Geeta (name changed) from Haryana sat for her third attempt at the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), hoping to secure a spot in a medical college. Scoring above 600 out of 720, Geeta was optimistic about her chances until allegations of a paper leak emerged, casting doubt on her future.
Background and Formation of NTA
The NTA was proposed by BJP leader Arun Jaitley in his 2017-18 budget speech, with the goal of centralizing admissions to higher education institutions. The agency, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, began conducting exams in December 2018, starting with the University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET). It has since overseen other major exams, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains and the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT).
Concerns Over Centralization
Before the NTA, exams were conducted by various bodies like the UGC and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Critics, including former UGC Chairman Sukhadeo Thorat and JNU Professor Ayesha Kidwai, have raised concerns about centralizing these exams. They argue that this approach increases the risk of widespread irregularities and compromises the autonomy of universities.
Exam Irregularities and Paper Leaks
According to The Quint report, the first major controversy occurred with the JNU Entrance Test 2019, where allegations of paper leaks and errors in the answer key surfaced. Despite denials from NTA officials, the controversy marked the beginning of a series of exam irregularities. Notable incidents include:
– NEET 2020: Alleged discrepancies in OMR sheets and the tragic suicide of Vidhi Suryavanshi after NTA erroneously reported her score.
– JEE Mains 2020 Scam: An aspirant from Assam used a substitute to appear for the exam, leading to multiple arrests.
– JEE Mains 2021: A CBI probe revealed a paper leak involving a Russian hacker and an education consultancy firm.
– UGC NET 2021: The Hindi exam paper was leaked, resulting in several arrests.
– NEET 2021: Multiple arrests for impersonation and paper leaks, with some students unsuccessfully seeking a re-exam from the Supreme Court.
– GPAT 2022: Allegations of mismanagement and cheating at an exam center in Ahmedabad.
– NEET 2022: A CBI investigation into a racket of ‘exam solvers’ impersonating candidates.
– JEE Mains 2024: Discrepancies in percentile calculations raised concerns among students.
– NEET UG 2024: One of the largest paper leaks, with candidates allegedly paying large sums for access to the exam paper. The case is under CBI investigation.
– UGC NET 2024: The exam was canceled after reports of compromised integrity.
These incidents have prompted calls for a re-evaluation of the NTA’s centralized approach to conducting exams, concluded The Quint report.
