India's high-stakes exam system faces a crisis of trust

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.

In June, more than two million students had to retake a crucial medical entrance examination after the paper was leaked. The fallout triggered weeks of youth-led protests which eventually led to the resignation of the federal education minister.