NEET doesn’t need more security. It needs a better design
The article argues that the recent NEET-UG exam scandal stems from fundamental design flaws in India's centralized testing system rather than just security lapses. It suggests that moving away from a single, high-stakes national paper toward more flexible, multi-form testing models is necessary to ensure exam validity and fairness.
Why it matters
The piece challenges the government's reliance on increased surveillance and technology as a panacea for exam integrity, highlighting the systemic risks inherent in massive, single-day national assessments.
On 3 May, more than two million students sat NEET-UG, India’s single national entrance exam for undergraduate medical admission. Within days, investigators found the paper had been compromised; it was not stolen off a truck or hacked from a server, but rather reconstructed from memory by examiners with authorised access and passed on in person to small groups of coached students.
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