A Parliamentary committee has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to clearly define what constitutes a "paper leak" and explain whether any such incidents have occurred in examinations conducted by the agency since 2018.
The request comes amid ongoing scrutiny of examination processes following the NEET-UG controversy and concerns surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) system, reported The Indian Express.
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NTA asked to explain paper leak claims
According to a PTI report, NTA officials recently appeared before the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports, chaired by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.
During the meeting, NTA representatives reportedly maintained that there had been no leaks from the agency's system. They argued that questions circulating before examinations originated from a "guess paper" rather than an actual leak.
The committee has now sought a written clarification on what the agency considers a "paper leak" and whether any such incidents have been identified in NTA-conducted examinations since 2018.
Questions on NEET and Radhakrishnan panel recommendations
The panel has also sought details on whether the NTA conducted any inquiry into allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination apart from investigations currently being carried out by the CBI.
In addition, the committee has requested information on the agency's staffing levels over the last three years, recruitments made since 2022 and annual reports submitted to the Higher Education department.
The NTA has also been asked to provide a detailed status report on all 101 recommendations made by the committee headed by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan, per The Indian Express report. The expert panel was formed in June 2024 to recommend reforms aimed at ensuring transparent and fair conduct of examinations, strengthening institutional structures and improving data security systems.
CBSE faces questions over OSM contract
The parliamentary panel has separately raised several questions for the CBSE regarding changes made to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) linked to its OSM system.
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Among the issues flagged are modifications to bidder eligibility criteria, turnover requirements, scanner specifications and provisions related to blacklisted vendors. The committee has also sought details regarding background checks conducted before awarding contracts and the rationale behind multiple changes in tender conditions.
The CBSE has been asked to respond by June 8, while the NTA has been directed to submit its written replies by June 10. According to sources, neither agency had submitted its response at the time of reporting.
FAQs:
What is considered a paper leak in competitive exams?
A paper leak generally refers to unauthorised access to exam questions before the test begins.
Why is the definition of a paper leak important for NTA exams?
It determines how exam irregularities are classified and whether retests or investigations are warranted.
