2024: The year of paper leaks, test cancellations, protests, exam reforms

A series of paper leaks in recruitment and entrance tests, cancellation of exams and widespread protests - the year 2024 saw the integrity of several exams being compromised raising concerns about the process while the government notified a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations.

The Centre also set up a high-level panel headed by former Isro chief R Radhakrishnan to reform the competitive exam process in the country.

The latest in the series of paper leaks is the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. Candidates have been protesting for more than a week seeking cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024 conducted by the BPSC over allegations of question paper leak. 

The biggest among the paper leaks in 2024 was the medical entrance exam NEET-UG. Within days of the alleged leak, shocking revelations came to light about the involvement of a well-organised syndicate that had managed to circulate the exam papers among a network of students and coaching centres. This marked the beginning of what would turn into a cascade of alleged leaks across multiple examinations.

The matter is now being probed by the CBI. While the Supreme Court acknowledged there has been a leak in NEET-UG, it decided against cancellation of the exam stating the impact of the leak was not widespread.

The Education and Health Ministry are currently deliberating upon whether NEET-UG should continue to be conducted in pen and paper mode or should transition to a computer-based test like the engineering entrance exam JEE-Main and JEE-Advanced.

The NEET-UG leak was followed by cancellation of University Grants Commission (UGC)-National Eligibility Test (NET) after the home ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised.

NEET-PG and CSIR-UGC NET were also cancelled on basis of apprehensions that they could also be compromised.

It was not just national exams that faced issues. Several state-level exams were also plagued by leaks. In Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) came under fire after leaks in the Review Officer (RO/ARO) exam.

Furthermore, the state had to cancel an exam for recruiting over 60,000 police constables in February due to a similar scandal. In response, the state government introduced strict laws, including jail terms and heavy fines for those involved in paper leaks.

Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra also faced major controversies with their Teacher Eligibility Tests (TETs) and police recruitment exams. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) was forced to cancel its Revenue Officer Grade 2 and Executive Officer Class 4 exams in May 2023, citing paper leaks. A re-examination is scheduled for March 2025.

The Centre's panel working on exam reforms suggested an overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA) prompting the Ministry of Education to restrict it to conducting entrance tests and not recruitment exams.

A DIGI-EXAM system to check impersonation, multi-stage and multi-session testing, test centre allocation policy, setting up secured test centres in each district and mobile testing centres in rural and remote areas are among the recommendations made by the panel.

Trusted question bank, secured and trusted testing platform that facilitates secure storage of question paper, setting up one secure Standard Testing Centre (STC) in each district and Mobile Testing Centres (MTCs) to facilitate aspirational districts from rural, remote and inaccessible areas are among the recommendations made in the report.

The government also pushed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, which was passed by Rajya Sabha on February 9. Lok Sabha passed it on February 6. President Murmu gave approval to the bill on February 12, turning it into a law.

The Act aims to prevent unfair means in the public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and NTA among others.

It has provisions for a minimum of three to five years of imprisonment to curb cheating and those involved in organised crimes of cheating will face five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 1 crore.

Before this legislation, there was no specific substantive law to deal with unfair means adopted or offences committed by various entities involved in the conduct of public examinations by the central government and its agencies.