// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
India's high-stakes exam system faces a crisis of trust
Millions of students appear for tests conducted by India's National Testing Agency every year
In 2017, India introduced the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct fair, transparent and standardised examinations.
Set up under the federal education ministry, it was meant to make exams more efficient, consistent and trustworthy, after years of paper leaks, administrative errors and cheating allegations.
Over the next few years, the agency took charge of some of India's largest and most competitive tests, including medical and engineering entrance examinations, university admissions and eligibility tests for teaching and research.
But eight years later, the organisation created to restore trust in India's exams is facing a crisis of confidence of its own.
In June, more than two million students had to retake a crucial medical entrance examination after the paper was leaked. The fallout triggered weeks of youth-led protests which eventually led to the resignation of the federal education minister.
In response, the government appointed a high-level task force led by tech tycoon Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms and restore confidence in the examination system.
For many Indians, however, the announcement prompted a sense of déjà vu.
A similar panel was established in 2024 after irregularities in another medical entrance examination sparked widespread unrest. That committee proposed more than 100 reforms, a little over half of which, external have reportedly been fully implemented.
The cycle has repeated: an exam goes wrong, students protest, a committee is appointed and reforms are proposed - only for another crisis to expose the same weaknesses.