Lakhs of Indian students take national-level entrance exams to get into colleges and universities. These important tests are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) . Recently, a committee of India's Parliament has strongly criticized NTA. The committee suggested that major entrance exams should return to being held with pen and paper . This recommendation comes after many computer-based exams faced repeated problems and disruptions.
The committee reviewed how national-level exams were conducted. It found many issues in tests run by NTA. In 2024 , NTA held 14 exams . Out of these, at least five exams faced serious problems. These included cancellations, postponements, delays in answer keys, and suspected paper leaks. These issues worried students across the country and raised doubts about fairness.
Key Exams Affected by Problems
The committee highlighted problems in major national exams like:
- NEET-UG (Medical entrance)
- UGC-NET (Lecturership and PhD entrance)
- CSIR-NET (Science research entrance)
- CUET (University admissions)
- JEE (Engineering entrance)
The issues for these exams included sudden cancellations and delays. There were also concerns about exam paper leaks. Such problems directly affect thousands of students' futures.
Call to Return to Pen-Paper Mode
The committee explained that computer-based tests have often caused disruptions. Technical glitches or server issues can stop an exam. This affects many students. Returning to pen-and-paper mode could make exams more reliable. This method would help ensure exams run smoothly. It would also help restore confidence until NTA can strengthen its digital systems.
Pen-and-paper exams can avoid technical failures seen with computer systems. This traditional method can offer a more stable way to conduct large tests. It aims to build back trust among students and parents.
NTA's Dependence on Private Vendors
A major concern for the committee was NTA's high dependence on private companies . NTA uses these companies for important tasks like setting up computer systems and managing exam centres. The committee noted that NTA made a profit of ₹448 crore over the last six years .
The committee believes NTA should have used this profit to build its own strong systems and improve security internally. Instead, NTA kept relying on outside companies. These outsourced systems often failed during exams with many candidates, causing widespread problems.
Guidelines for Computer-Based Exams
If computer-based exams continue for some subjects, the committee gave clear advice. It suggested that these exams should only be held in government-run centres . These centres must have strict control, standard equipment, and strong monitoring.
Using only government centres would ensure all locations follow the same high standards. This can prevent problems caused by varying quality or security at private centres. It would also allow better supervision and quick action for any issues.
Restoring Trust: A Complete Overhaul
The repeated failures show NTA needs to completely review and improve its operations. The committee stressed that NTA must change how it prepares for exams, manages private companies (vendors), and processes results. The main goal is to rebuild trust among students taking these crucial exams.
These suggestions aim to make future exams fair, secure, and free from problems. Students need to be confident that their efforts will be judged fairly, without technical issues or leaks affecting their results.
