Now, fix the broken exam architecture

So, peaceful protests do work. Responding to mobilisation under the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) banner over NEET paper leaks, on Thursday, the prime minister intervened, announcing that his government is setting up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those found guilty in exam leaks and other exam-related malpractices. Narendra Modi's response is welcome. Now, GoI must go further, for only an overhaul of India's competitive exam system can fix it.

First, the exam architecture needs an independent statutory authority with operational autonomy, fixed tenures for those heading it, mandatory external audits and parliamentary oversight. Second, question papers should move through encrypted digital systems, be printed just before tests at authorised centres, use multiple randomised sets, and be protected by cybersecurity audits. Third, honest candidates should not pay the price for administrative ineptitude. Re-examinations must be conducted within fixed timelines, lost attempts restored, age limits relaxed where necessary, and genuine expenses compensated when authorities fail. Fourth, multiple testing windows, score validity over several years, and allowing students to use their best score would reduce consequences of one compromised test, while making every exam feel less like gambling. Fifth, when millions compete for a small number of affordable, high-quality seats, incentives for corruption multiply. India must expand public universities, medical and engineering colleges, strengthen state universities, improve faculty and infrastructure, and create far more quality opportunities.

All this needs money. Over the past 12 yrs, education's share in the Union budget has nearly halved - from 4.6% in 2013-14 to 2.5% in 2025-26. This needs to be addressed. Fast-track courts can punish those who broke the system. Rebuilding will need not just money, but also patience and a strong belief that there can be no real progress without investing in our students first.