Alleging that the examination system had been repeatedly compromised, he demanded Pradhan’s resignation and called for the NTA to be disbanded.
Gandhi had made the allegation a day earlier, claiming that a 100-page PDF relating to the Sociology paper had been circulated before the examination and that nearly 90 questions matched those asked in the test. There was no immediate response from the NTA to the allegations.
The latest controversy has once again put the spotlight on India’s examination system, which has witnessed numerous high-profile paper leak and examination fraud controversies over the past decade.
Among the most prominent were the cancellation of the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) in 2015, the CBSE Class 10 and 12 paper leak cases in 2018, the UPTET paper leak in 2021, the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) leak, the cancellation of UGC-NET in 2024 after inputs that its integrity had been compromised, and the NEET-UG paper leak, also in 2024.
The alleged leak in this year’s NEET examination itself marked a repeat of concerns that have surfaced periodically across major competitive examinations, underscoring that examination fraud has persisted despite successive reforms.
Education experts have argued that while computer-based testing may reduce vulnerabilities associated with transporting and storing physical question papers, the integrity of high-stakes examinations ultimately depends on the security of the entire testing ecosystem, including question paper preparation, digital infrastructure, access controls and administrative oversight.
In June 2024, the education ministry constituted a high-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan to recommend reforms aimed at strengthening the conduct of public examinations. The shift to CBT for NEET is among the key changes being implemented in the aftermath of the controversy.
With PTI inputs
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