NTA: India's high-stakes exam system faces a crisis of trust - BBC News

As exam scandals persist, critics ask whether fixing the centralised testing agency is enough or if the model needs to change.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions of students appear for tests conducted by India's National Testing Agency every year

In 2017, India introduced the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct fair, transparent and standardised examinations.

Set up under the federal education ministry, it was meant to make exams more efficient, consistent and trustworthy, after years of paper leaks, administrative errors and cheating allegations.

Over the next few years, the agency took charge of some of India's largest and most competitive tests, including medical and engineering entrance examinations, university admissions and eligibility tests for teaching and research.

But eight years later, the organisation created to restore trust in India's exams is facing a crisis of confidence of its own.