Leaked exams lead to cancellations that leave Indian students and researchers frustrated

Over a million students and early-career researchers in India have been affected by the recent cancellation or postponement of exams for fellowships or jobs. Problems with the leaking of exam questions has been a live issue for years and has now become a national scandal.

At the centre of this scandal is the National Testing Agency (NTA), an Indian government agency that conducts entrance exams for agencies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and medical schools.

On 20 June, the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan abruptly announced the cancellation of the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) exam used to screen PhD candidates, award junior research fellowships and also recruit assistant professors. The tests, held on 18 June, involved over 900,000 candidates across 83 subjects. Unsurprisingly, the decision provoked outrage.