India's exam system faces a growing crisis of trust after repeated leaks

India set up the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 2017 to address long-standing problems of exam paper leaks, administrative errors and cheating. Eight years later, the agency meant to restore trust is itself facing a crisis of confidence.

In June this year, more than two million students had to retake a major medical entrance exam after its paper leaked. The incident sparked weeks of youth-led protests that ultimately led to the resignation of the federal education minister.

The government responded by forming a high-level task force led by tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms. However, a similar panel was set up in 2024 following another medical exam leak, and of the more than 100 reforms it proposed, only slightly more than half have reportedly been fully implemented so far.

Experts say the problems run deeper than the leaks themselves. BJ Rao, a member of the 2024 panel, argues India should move decisively to computer-based exams and standardised, state-controlled testing centres. He also points to the NTA's heavy reliance on temporary staff — only 24 of its 221 employees hold permanent positions.

Other experts propose restructuring exams into multiple stages with different question sets, reducing the risk tied to a single high-stakes test day. There are also calls to allow key entrance exams to be held more than once a year, as is common in some Western countries, giving students a second chance.

Students such as Pari, 17, and Mansi Bansal, 23, describe the frustration and uncertainty caused by cancelled exams that disrupted months of preparation. While some students and opposition politicians are demanding the NTA be scrapped entirely, experts warn this would not solve the underlying issues and instead call for deeper structural reform of a still-centralised but better-managed system.