India exam chief sacked after outcry over marks
The head of India’s National Testing Agency (NTA) has been relieved of duties amidst allegations of irregularities in recent higher education exams.
In response, the government has formed a committee tasked with proposing reforms for the highly competitive examination process.
Calls have arisen to conduct a new medical entrance test following concerns over unusually high scores by thousands of candidates, sparking protests over suspected cheating.
The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) serves as the primary gateway for studying medicine in India. Annually, millions of students sit for the exam, yet only a small fraction achieve scores sufficient for admission.
The results announced on June 4th proved challenging even for top scorers to secure placements.
Since then, the exam has faced scrutiny due to issues ranging from errors in the question papers to the alleged awarding of unwarranted grace marks and instances of fraud.
Earlier this month, Federal Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan acknowledged the emergence of “some irregularities.”
NTA chief Subodh Kumar Singh has faced severe criticism, leading to his dismissal last Saturday.
Furthermore, a qualifying exam for PhD fellowships was cancelled after its question paper was leaked on the dark web.
In addition, the entrance test for post-graduate degrees in medicine, scheduled for the following Sunday, has been postponed.
Opposition parties and student groups have organized protests nationwide, demanding accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently reelected government amidst these lapses.