How private firms are increasingly running India's public examinations

India's public examination system is increasingly dependent on a network of private firms that manage everything from examination centres and computer infrastructure to security, logistics and manpower, according to a Hemali Chhapia’s Times of India report.

While examinations are conducted by government agencies and institutions, different private contractors often handle separate components of the process. One company may manage the examination centres, another may provide computers and testing software, while manpower agencies recruit invigilators, security personnel, frisking staff and technicians.

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According to consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, an estimated 31.4 crore candidates registered for various government recruitment examinations in 2025, while 38.3 crore candidates registered for academic examinations.

The report said India's examination ecosystem functions through multiple private service providers, with no single entity overseeing the entire process. Until recently, there were no clearly defined national standards governing the roles of different service providers.

In April this year, a handbook of standards was released recommending that exam-conducting agencies, examination security providers and content providers function independently. It also stated that facility management could either be handled by a separate service provider or combined with the responsibilities of the exam-conducting or security agency, depending on operational requirements.

The report said separating question paper creation, examination administration and security functions is intended to reduce concentration of authority and introduce checks and balances. However, the fragmented structure can also complicate accountability when issues such as server failures, technical glitches or irregularities at examination centres occur.

Ashish Mittal, founder and director of examination security firm Innovatiview, told TOI that the company secured 735 examinations in 2024, monitored over 44,000 venues and covered examinations involving around 3.5 crore candidates. The company also processed more than 4.4 crore biometric scans.

Mittal said the company is constructing dedicated examination centres in multiple states, citing a shortage of infrastructure required for large-scale computer-based tests.

According to the report, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), through its TCS iON network and partner centres, remains the largest provider of computer-based testing venues in the country.

The report also highlighted concerns over manpower deployed at examination centres. Abhay Jere, former vice-chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and CEO of Dexit Global, told TOI that undertrained invigilators remain a significant vulnerability in the system.

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Referring to the re-NEET 2026 examination, the report said the exam was compromised at a centre in Bihar's Lakhisarai, where biometric staff members, supervisors and other operators were among those arrested along with dummy candidates.

Rajat Moona, director of IIT Gandhinagar, told TOI that examination supervision has shifted from teachers to employees hired by private agencies operating examination venues.

The report said examination authorities are also facing increasingly sophisticated methods of malpractice, including the use of miniature electronic devices concealed on candidates. Moona said IITs conducting JEE (Advanced) have deployed equipment capable of detecting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals to identify such devices.

The report further said organised groups have attempted to compromise examination centres by allegedly bribing officials or security personnel to smuggle mobile phones into secure premises.

The report also noted that different examination-conducting authorities operate independently without a shared vendor database or common accountability framework, allowing contractors to continue securing work across agencies despite being blacklisted elsewhere.

It cited a 2025 parliamentary committee report, which said some firms involved in setting question papers, conducting examinations and evaluating responses had continued receiving contracts from other organisations despite being blacklisted by certain states or institutions.

According to the committee, companies including Confisec Pvt Ltd, Eduquity, Satvat Infosol and Aptech were among those that continued to secure examination-related contracts despite facing action in different jurisdictions. The panel recommended creating a nationwide register of blacklisted firms and associated entities to prevent such companies from obtaining contracts under different names.

The report said the committee recommended that the National Testing Agency and state governments avoid engaging such firms and establish a centralised mechanism to track blacklisted vendors across the country.

With inputs from TOI