NTA credibility crisis: Why India's testing agency keeps failing students

Paper leaks, exam cancellations, technical glitches, and delayed reforms have deepened concerns over transparency, accountability, and fairness in India's entrance exam system

  The cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026 has once again pushed India’s examination system into turmoil. With more than 2.2 million students now staring at uncertainty, a larger question is growing louder: Is the National Testing Agency still capable of conducting the country’s biggest entrance exams fairly and securely?

 

The latest controversy comes barely two years after the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak row triggered nationwide outrage. Since then, the agency has also faced criticism over the cancellation of UGC-NET and delays in CUET.

 

Another NEET disruption leaves students in limbo

 

Reports of alleged paper leaks and irregularities prompted investigations after the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group pointed to a suspected “guess paper” leak, while authorities later announced that a re-test would follow.

 

The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested five persons and conducted searches across multiple locations in connection with the alleged paper leak case. Meanwhile, the Federation of All India Medical Association moved the Supreme Court seeking a complete overhaul of the National Testing Agency and calling for its replacement with a “technologically advanced and autonomous body” to restore the credibility of medical entrance examinations.

 

“Students who had moved cities, paid a full year's coaching fees, and built their entire routine around one date were suddenly left with nothing confirmed,” said Vikash Chauhan, Founder and Director of Educamy, a Patna-based institute that prepares students for IIT-JEE and NEET entrance examinations. “Return tickets were being booked, accommodation costs were piling up, and two years of work suddenly felt uncertain.”

 

The crisis has also widened the trust deficit around national entrance examinations, with aspirants stating that repeated controversies have damaged their confidence in the system. Dr Pretty Duggar Gupta, Consultant Psychiatrist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, adds that repeated disruptions weaken institutional trust and may eventually lead to burnout, anxiety, and disengagement among aspirants.

 

"The effects of multiple interruptions on mental health lead to decreased institutional trust. Students may begin to feel that outcomes are no longer merit-based, which can reduce motivation and increase cynicism toward academic systems", Gupta said.

 

NTA’s rapidly expanding role

 

When the NTA was established in 2017, it was envisioned as a specialised body that would streamline entrance examinations across India. Over time, however, its responsibilities expanded sharply.

 

The following examinations are currently managed by the NTA-

 

Engineering & Medicine

 

• Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) – The primary entrance for undergraduate engineering
• National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test [NEET (UG)] – The qualifying exam for medical (MBBS/BDS) and allied courses

 

Higher Education

 

• Common University Entrance Test [CUET (UG and PG)]– A centralised test for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions in participating universities
• University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test [UGC-NET]  – Determines eligibility for Assistant Professorship and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF)
• Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) – Semester examinations for various online certification courses

 

Management & Teaching

 

• Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
• Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT) for IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Jammu
• National Common Entrance Test (NCET) for the 4-Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP)
• National Teachers Eligibility Test (NTET)  – A 2026 addition for teachers in Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha systems

 

Specialised & Technical Fields

 

• All India AYUSH Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET)
• National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination (NCHM JEE)
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research entrance examinations (ICAR AIEEA)
• National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination (NIFTEE)
• Graduate Aptitude Test-Biotechnology and Biotechnology Eligibility Test (GAT-B & BET)

 

School Admissions & Recruitment

 

• All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE)
• National Entrance Test for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas. (SHRESHTA)
• Allahabad High Court Recruitment - Specific recruitment examinations for the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

 

Professor Chandan Gowda, Dean at the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Vidyashilp University, also pointed to the lack of clarity over whether the NTA has the institutional capacity to administer such a large number of entrance examinations effectively.

 

“The NTA has often been criticised for lack of transparency about its functioning, staffing, finances, vendor relationships, and paper-setting processes,” he told Business Standard.

 

A pattern of disruption

 

The latest NEET crisis is not an isolated incident. Over the past few years, the agency has repeatedly found itself at the centre of examination controversies.

 

• 2024: NEET-UG paper leak allegations triggered nationwide outrage
• 2024: UGC-NET was cancelled over concerns related to exam integrity
• 2024 and 2025: CUET faced technical glitches, delays, and centre-related disruptions in multiple cities
• 2026: NEET-UG was cancelled and a re-test was announced following suspected paper leak concerns

 

Industry experts say the pattern suggests systemic weaknesses rather than one-off failures.

 

“The repeated controversies around NTA point toward deeper structural and administrative issues rather than isolated failures,” said Saurabh Mangrulkar, Founder and CEO of EventBeep, a platform that helps provide career resources, mentorship, and event ticketing for students. “India conducts some of the world’s largest high-stakes examinations, but the systems governing them have not evolved at the pace they need to.”

 

Where the system appears to break down

 

Experts point to several vulnerabilities within the examination ecosystem, including

 

• Paper custody
• Transport logistics
• Centre-level handling
• Vendor oversight
• Cybersecurity preparedness
• Communication failures

 

According to Karan Gupta, Co-Founder of AssessPrep, an AI-powered, cloud-based assessment platform for schools, the NEET paper leak exposed limitations in relying heavily on physical examination systems. “This happened despite AI surveillance, biometric verification, GPS-tracked papers, watermark identifiers, and 5G jammers,” he said. “Adding more security layers to a physical process is still not enough to prevent leaks.”

 

Experts have recommended a shift towards secure digital testing systems, randomised question sets, real-time monitoring, and stronger cybersecurity infrastructure.

 

Manish Mohta, Founder of Learning Spiral, said there should be “a single, secure, digital mediation ecosystem for developing, storing, and distributing examination papers”. He also called for annual audits of cybersecurity systems, vendor processes, and examination protocols, along with “swift investigations and serious penalties” in leak cases.

 

However, some experts caution that a complete transition to digital examinations could create fresh inequalities for students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds who may have limited exposure to computer-based testing. Professor Gowda argues that India’s entrance examination system must account for the country’s diverse educational realities and avoid favouring students with greater urban and technological access.

 

Can trust in India’s exam system be rebuilt?

 

Mangrulkar noted that international testing agencies generally operate with “stronger audit systems, clearer escalation frameworks, and more student-centric communication models during disruptions”.

 

According to experts, immediate reforms for NTA must focus on three key areas: governance, technology, and trust. This includes independent audits, stronger accountability frameworks, better cybersecurity architecture, AI-enabled anomaly detection systems, secure testing infrastructure, and real-time monitoring mechanisms.

 

Experts also stress that communication with students must become faster, clearer, and more empathetic during crises.