NTA: From elixir for all exam ills to everyone's punching bag!

New Delhi - The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting India's higher education entrance exams, has faced severe criticism and protests over the past few months. The agency's credibility took a hit after the NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled due to paper leaks, leaving over 20 lakh students disappointed and anxious.

This was not an isolated incident, as the UGC-NET for PhD and other scholarship programmes also faced controversy due to low-quality test papers, possibly created using AI. The NTA found itself under siege once again, leading to the rescheduling of the exams.

The NTA, established in 2017 with the aim of addressing the flaws in the country's examination system, has come under heavy scrutiny for its capacity, security measures, and centralised structure. Some experts argue that one centralised body might not be equipped to handle the diverse and complex nature of India's entrance exams.

Former UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar acknowledged these concerns but suggested that the focus should be on continuous risk assessment, digital traceability, and independent checks to protect students' trust in the system.

Others, like economics professor Surajit Mazumdar, believe that the centralisation of exams might actually increase the risk of leaks and breaches, as the NTA lacks the experience and administrative capacity to handle the task effectively. He also pointed out that centralisation may not be the best solution for a vast and diverse country like India, as it could disproportionately affect students from socio-economically marginalised backgrounds.

Student leader Neha Bora echoed these concerns, highlighting the contradictions between the NTA's proclaimed mission and its limited resources. She called for a decentralised federal system of conducting exams, where agencies responsible for conducting these tests are held accountable and truly transparent. Despite the NTA's efforts to introduce reform measures, the question remains: can a single agency truly shoulder the responsibility of conducting India's high-stakes entrance exams, or is it time to rethink the structure altogether?