NEET-UG Leak Exposes Governance Failure amid Stalled Reforms
Image credit X @Iam_SyedIrfan
By RAVI SHANKER KAPOOR
Despite 101 reform recommendations after the 2024 controversy, only a handful were implemented, raising fresh questions over accountability and the Centre’s handling of India’s examination system.
New Delhi, May 16, 2026 — The frequency with which examination papers are leaked in India is both alarming and deeply disheartening. Yet, it no longer surprises many people. The underlying problem is not merely administrative incompetence but a broader failure of governance.
Critics argue that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both at the Centre and across several states, appears more invested in electoral politics and ideological campaigns than in strengthening institutions and public systems.
Nothing illustrates this crisis better than the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG. Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3, the examination was annulled within 10 days after reports allegedly emerged from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand about question papers circulating before the test. The decision left more than 22 lakh aspirants and their families frustrated, anxious, and emotionally drained.
The controversy is particularly troubling because NEET-UG 2024 had also faced allegations of leaks and irregularities. Although the government then maintained that there was no “systemic breach” warranting cancellation, the episode should have served as a warning. Evidently, the lessons were not learned, and the NTA failed once again to ensure a secure and leak-proof examination process.
At the core of the crisis lies institutional apathy. Reports in 2024 highlighted that the NTA had barely 25 employees despite being responsible for conducting numerous high-stakes examinations across the country. Little appears to have changed since then. The agency continues to depend heavily on temporary and contractual staff, undermining both accountability and operational efficiency.
Following the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, the Union government constituted an expert committee led by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan to recommend reforms in the examination system and strengthen security protocols. Among its key recommendations was the replacement of contractual workers with permanent and accountable staff. However, implementation has remained limited. Although 16 new posts were reportedly created, only three joint directors have joined, while the agency still relies on 43 contractual employees.
The committee had also made a strong case for shifting from traditional pen-and-paper tests to computer-based testing (CBT), a move seen as essential for reducing leak vulnerabilities. That transition never materialized.
Other recommendations included biometric and AI-based candidate verification, encrypted digital transmission of question papers, secure centre-based printing, wider adoption of CBT, and enhanced CCTV surveillance. Out of 101 recommendations, only two were reportedly implemented.
The latest NEET controversy has once again exposed the disconnect between rhetoric and governance. Political leaders frequently speak about India’s “demographic dividend,” but such promises ring hollow when the country repeatedly fails to conduct fair and secure examinations for millions of students.
India also continues to maintain a vast administrative structure comprising hundreds of ministries, departments, and autonomous organizations. While several institutions such as AIIMS, IITs, and IIMs have made significant contributions, critics argue that many taxpayer-funded bodies suffer from inefficiency, duplication, or lack of accountability.
The larger question, therefore, is whether the government is willing to undertake serious institutional reforms. Rationalizing administrative expenditure and redirecting resources toward critical agencies like the NTA could help strengthen examination systems and restore public trust.
The NEET-UG crisis is not merely about a leaked examination paper. It reflects a deeper governance challenge — whether the state is genuinely focused on institution-building and accountability, or increasingly preoccupied with political spectacle and event management.
(This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author’s own. The article is brought in collaboration with The Hindu Chronicle.)
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