The raison d’être of this piece is both proximate and existential. The proximate reason is the mayhem unleashed on 2.4 million hapless aspirants who now face an uncertain future due to alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, their gateway to studying medicine. The situation was aggravated by the abrupt postponement of NEET-PG, an exam for specialised post-graduation disciplines. Additionally, two more exams (UGC-NET and CSIR UGC-NET) have either been cancelled or postponed (and now rescheduled), making the future uncertain for one million aspirants to be lecturers/assistant professors. The National Testing Agency, responsible for conducting these exams, is under assault, and rightly so.
Maila Aanchal
I humbly posit, that barring exceptions, Bharat faces a significant existential crisis, its examination system teetering on the brink of collapse due to deeply entrenched problems. The recent controversy surrounding NTA-conducted exams exposes a broader malaise that has tarnished the nation’s reputation. This piece delves into the severity and pervasiveness of this issue, analyses its root causes and consequences, and proposes pathways towards a brighter future for India’s youth.
I submit that nationwide exams in India today—whether academic or recruitment-based—are plagued by corruption, collusion, malpractices, and nepotism. Examination malpractice is arguably the largest systemic issue gripping the nation since independence. Responsibility for this crisis rests squarely on the shoulders of the entire political landscape, encompassing both the Central and state governments that have held power over the past 77 years.
I will return to it shortly.
NEET Not So NEAT
After the initial denial, the Union government dismissed the NTA Director-General and ordered a CBI probe to investigate alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes, and middlemen and investigate the role of public servants connected with conducting the examinations, leading to compromise in the integrity of the NEET-UG 2024 exam.
What was supposed to be an isolated question paper leak in Patna and Godhra has raised its tentacles to Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The CBI is investigating six cases related to the NEET paper leak. Of the six cases, one each is being investigated from Bihar, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, while three are from Rajasthan. NEET-UG 2024, conducted by the NTA, took place at 4,750 centres in 571 cities in which more than 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were declared on June 4.
The government has established a seven-member expert committee, chaired by former ISRO chief Koppillil Radhakrishnan, to recommend reforms for exam systems, data security protocols, and NTA operations.
The New Statute
A broken examination system undoubtedly devastates the futures of millions. Harshest punishments must be imposed on those who undermine exam integrity. The recently enacted Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, is a laudable step. However, will it effectively eradicate this age-old menace and hold powerful kingpins, organised crime syndicates, and corrupt officials accountable?
While the new law mandates up to 10 years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 1 crore, concerns remain. Its limited scope, applying only to a few national exams, raises concerns about its effectiveness as a deterrent. Additionally, the extensive reach and potential patronage enjoyed by perpetrators cast doubt on its enforceability.
Numerous state governments have enacted similar laws, yet exam malpractices persist and have even escalated in severity. Uttarakhand (2023), Gujarat (2023), Rajasthan (2022), Chhattisgarh (2008), Jharkhand (2001), Uttar Pradesh (1998), Andhra Pradesh (1997), and Odisha (1988) all have laws in place, yet previously impacting thousands, these irregularities now jeopardise the futures of millions. Tragically, the despair caused by this broken system leads many students to take their own lives each year.
Time for A New Dawn
Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, has witnessed over 50 examination malpractice cases in the last three decades. Multiple exam cancellations, including the recent cancellation of a police constable recruitment exam involving 48 lakh candidates, have impacted the careers of millions.
The UP cabinet recently approved an ordinance with harsher punishments than the central law. Its scope is comprehensive, encompassing exams conducted by the Public Service Commission, Subordinate Services Selection Board, UP Board, universities, and other institutions. It covers recruitment, promotion, and entrance exams for degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The ordinance criminalises the distribution of fake question papers, the creation of fake employment websites, and other related offences. These offences are categorised as cognisable, non-bailable, and subject to stringent bail conditions. Penalties include life imprisonment, exam-cost recovery, property confiscation, and fines of up to Rs 1 crore.
If effectively enforced, this ordinance could serve as a model for other states grappling with examination malpractice.
Raise the Bar
I posit that recurring examination irregularities, malpractices, and scams are devastating the futures of millions and tragically lead to numerous suicides each year. While the recently enacted Union law is a commendable step, it proves inadequate in addressing the gravity of this crisis. It is time to raise the stakes significantly—organised criminals involved in these schemes must face a minimum punishment of life imprisonment. The bar for justice must be set exceptionally high.
Gaming the Game
Cheating in examinations is as old as my memory, and it has only worsened with time. I could recount countless stories I’ve personally witnessed. For brevity’s sake, I’ll share a few tales that directly impacted me.
First, circa 1976, Patna University Intermediate-in-Science exam. Every night before an exam, question papers were leaked. The beneficiaries were children of the wealthy and influential, along with the “Bahubali” students who held sway in the college hostels. Not everyone who outperformed me in that exam cheated, but many did. Ironically, some of those who cheated, exploiting the direct marks-based admission system, went on to become engineers and doctors.
In one egregious case, a Bahubali student gained entry to the prestigious IIT-Kanpur- arguably then the best IIT in the country-using a forged third-rank university transcript (IITs at the time offered direct admission to top-ranking students). Mercifully, he was caught and expelled. However, the true victims were the deserving students who were denied a fair chance. From the following year onward, IITs abolished the marks-based admission system.
Bihar, including the historical city of Pataliputra, an ancient seat of Indian civilisation, has remained a hotbed for organised exam cheating. Question leaks sponsored cheating rings, fraudulent mark tampering, and ghost-writing have plagued schools, colleges, entrance exams, and recruitment exams for decades. Unsurprisingly, the state has become notorious for producing masterminds, exam mafias, and “Question Solver Gangs” that operate in every exam, including the recent NEET-UG 2024.
Second, circa 1978: All India exam to recruit merchant navy officers. In the sweltering Patna heat, the notoriously criminal student leader, Lallan Singh, forced his way into my room at the Cavendish hostel. He placed a revolver against my head, scattered four more on the table, and threatened me with instant death if I didn’t immediately solve the exam question papers he had smuggled out of the Patna Engineering College exam centre. Distraught and fearing for my life, I solved as many questions as my terrified mind could manage. The incident plunged me into a deep depression for months. Many individuals, now holding high positions in government, can attest to this event.
Singh was no ordinary criminal. In 1981, the Patna High Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for the Pipra carnage case, a horrific massacre in which 14 Dalits were shot and burned alive. He managed to secure bail by feigning cancer and even gained readmission to law school. However, his life was cut short on December 13, 1981, when he was killed in a bomb blast outside a university hostel.
Four decades have passed, but the trauma of that encounter has left an indelible mark on my psyche. To this day, I struggle with panic attacks, nightmares, and a bone-chilling fear that resurfaces unexpectedly. Singh may be gone, but the scourge of organised exam cheating, which severely undermines the integrity of education and opportunity in India, continues unabated.
Third circa 1986: Indian Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Having taken this exam three times (1983, 1984, 1985), qualified for the interview each time, and been selected twice, I can attest that it is among the fairest examinations in the country.
The UPSC employs a well-oiled examination machinery. Its 72nd Annual Report states that in 2021-22 alone, the commission conducted 16 examinations for 29,91,842 aspirants. Since 1950, the UPSC has played a pivotal role in recruiting Class-I officers for both the civil and defence services.
However, a question has lingered in my mind for the past four decades: can the Indian Civil Services Examination, often considered the gold standard of exams, be compromised? My informed answer is, for the most part, no. But a sliver of doubt remains. While I have no concrete proof, anecdotal evidence suggests that even this rigorous process may not be entirely immune to manipulation, despite the meticulous design of the UPSC selection process.
Here’s where my suspicion arises:
One, the Opaque Interview System: Across my three attempts, I received 110 (1984), 165 (1985), and 140 (1986) marks out of 250 in the personality test (interview). To this day, I remain perplexed. Which score truly reflected my abilities—the 110 or the 165? A fifty-point difference can make or break a career. My interview performance remained consistent across all three years. However, with multiple interview boards, the evaluation criteria could vary, with some boards being stricter than others.
Two, Anecdotal Evidence of Manipulation: Each year, there were always a few well-connected IAS aspirants in Patna—typically children of high-ranking bureaucrats, police officers, or influential figures—who seemed to secure their preferred interview boards. They consistently received exceptionally high interview scores, often exceeding 200 out of 250, and would even publicly announce their marks well before the official results were released.
I acknowledge that aspirants rarely know their assigned interview board until the last minute. However, these individuals always seemed to have prior knowledge of their boards and even their scores, which they would readily share—and their claims invariably proved accurate. While difficult to accept, it’s not entirely implausible. In a country where even the registry of the senior judiciary is rumoured to be susceptible to manipulation, could the UPSC interview board be completely immune?
These Patna-based incidents might not be isolated. When it comes to the pervasiveness of corruption, the entire nation bears the stench. I will elaborate below on how such manipulation, if true, potentially shattered my dream of joining the coveted IAS.
Three, the final results of the 1985 IAS examination continue to bother me. Despite achieving a respectable combined score in the mains and interview (1102/2050), which placed me at rank 123, I missed out on the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The previous year, the last candidate selected for the IAS from the general category had a rank of 138. While someone always misses the cut-off, an unusual pattern emerged that year. Two IAS aspirants from Patna, who had publicly declared their high interview scores before the official results, secured ranks higher than mine. It’s possible they were isolated cases or that their interview performances genuinely merited those scores.
But the question lingers: ‘What if’ there was more to their success? What if similar manipulations were occurring elsewhere in the country, particularly in Delhi, the nation’s capital and arguably its most corruption-ridden city?
If the above is even remotely true, I was wronged in the purest of all exams. That year, I would have been among the top-ranked candidates. Instead, I fell victim to a structural barrier—the minimum height requirement. At the time, the criteria were 165 cm for general-category males, 160 cm for males in certain reserved categories, and 150 cm for general-category females. I fell short of the requirement for general category males by a small margin.
Every year, during the mandatory medical examination at Delhi’s RML/LNJP hospitals, the staff measuring my height would sympathetically inquire if I aspired to join the IPS. Unwilling to compromise my integrity, I would always decline. There are, however, several serving and retired male IPS officers from the general category who, despite not meeting the 165 cm height requirement, have served the nation with distinction. I personally know of two such officers.
This leads me to question the relevance of the height criterion for IPS officers. What role, if any, does height play in their actual performance? There are many female IPS officers who are 150 cm tall and perform their duties far more effectively than their male counterparts who are 165 cm or taller.
Why 165 cm specifically? Why not 162 cm, 160 cm, or even 170 cm, which is the minimum height requirement for constables in central police forces? This arbitrary criterion, a vestige of Regulation 7 (c), Appendix III of the All-India Services Act, 1951, not only prevented me from becoming an IPS officer but continues to compel many aspirants to resort to unethical means to overcome this outdated standard.
To get to the root of the deep-rooted malaise, I conducted a meta-study based on all publicly reported cases of exam irregularities reported from practically every state and university in the country. My study covers the period from circa 1991 to 2024 and involves at least 500 publicly known cases, including irregularities in more than 300 recruitment examinations.
In Part II of this piece, I will discuss the bone-chilling findings of this meta-study.
To be continued
The author is Multidisciplinary Thought Leader with Action Bias, India Based International Impact Consultant, and key watcher of changing national scenario. He works as President Advisory Services of Consulting Company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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