The committee cited CBSE boards and UPSC exams to back its pen and paper test mode, saying that these examinations have been leak-proof for years
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has contended that a shift towards pen and paper examinations can prevent paper leaks in India, as it said that the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) approach towards handling entrance examinations “has not inspired much confidence”.
The committee cited CBSE boards and UPSC exams to back its pen and paper test mode, saying that these examinations have been leak-proof for years. Congress MP Digvijay Singh, the head of the committee, said that “in 2024 alone, of the 14 competitive examinations conducted by NTA, at least five faced major issues.”
It recorded that “three examinations – UGC-NET, CSIR-NET and NEET-PG – had to be postponed, one examination, viz. NEET-UG, saw instances of paper leaks, and one examination, CUET (UG/PG) saw its results postponed”.
The committee also highlighted the case of JEE (Main) 2025, where at least 12 questions had to be withdrawn due to errors in the answer key. It noted that “such instances do not inspire confidence of the examinees in the system”. “The committee, therefore, recommends that NTA needs to quickly get their act together so that such instances, which otherwise are fully avoidable, do not occur in future,” the report said.
On exam security, the panel evaluated risks in both online and offline formats. It observed that pen-and-paper tests “offer more opportunities for paper leaks,” while computer-based tests “can be hacked in a manner that is difficult to detect.” Despite this, the panel favoured a greater shift toward traditional formats, urging the NTA to closely study and emulate the CBSE and UPSC models. For CBTs, it is recommended that they be conducted only at government-run centres and “never in private centres.”
The report also raised concerns about the continued use of tainted vendors. It noted that several companies involved in paper setting, exam administration and evaluation have been blacklisted by various organisations and state governments, yet still manage to win contracts elsewhere. “Such blacklisted firms must not be engaged for any entrance test by the NTA or state govts,” it said, calling for a nationwide list of blacklisted firms and associated individuals to prevent future contracts.
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