Independent Member of Parliament from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan — widely known as Pappu Yadav — on Wednesday, 29 July mounted a sharp challenge against the Centre during the Lok Sabha debate on the Examination Amendment Bill, raising pointed questions about the National Testing Agency (NTA)'s financial accumulation, leadership appointments, and the handling of examination paper leak investigations.

NTA's ₹3,654 Crore Corpus Under Scrutiny

Participating in the debate, Pappu Yadav stated that the NTA, established in 2018, had accumulated ₹3,654 crore between 2019 and 2024. He questioned why an agency conducting examinations for six to eight crore candidates annually was being operated by only 24 officials. 'I want to know why six to eight crore application forms are being processed every year and why such a huge amount of money goes to the NTA. Who are the people who have a stake in the NTA?' he asked on the floor of the House.

Leadership Appointments Questioned

Pappu Yadav alleged that the same official had been repeatedly entrusted with key positions despite adverse judicial findings. 'The Centre appointed as NTA chairman a person who had served in Madhya Pradesh and had been found guilty by a court. The same individual was later appointed Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission and then Chairman of the NTA. Is there only one officer in the entire country capable of holding these positions?' he asked. The allegation, if substantiated, raises serious questions about the government's due-diligence process for apex examination body appointments.

Paper Leak Probe: CBI and SIT in the Dock

The Purnea MP also trained his sights on the investigation into examination paper leak cases, questioning the role of central investigative agencies. He alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had released five main accused in the paper leak case, including Sanjeev Mukhiya, described as allegedly a key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak and other examination fraud cases in Bihar. He further alleged that the Centre had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and stripped the state of its investigative powers. This comes amid sustained public outrage over the NEET-UG controversy, which had triggered nationwide protests earlier in 2024.

Global Best Practices Cited

Pappu Yadav urged the government to draw on international models to reform India's examination system. He cited the United States, where many high-stakes tests are conducted through real-time computer-based testing; South Korea, where question paper setters are reportedly kept in isolation at undisclosed locations before examinations to preserve confidentiality; and China, where he claimed stringent penalties — including lifetime restrictions on government employment — are imposed on those convicted of examination fraud.

What Happens Next

The Examination Amendment Bill remains under active parliamentary debate, with opposition members pressing for stronger anti-leak provisions and independent oversight of the NTA. The government is yet to formally respond to the specific allegations raised by Pappu Yadav regarding leadership appointments and the release of accused individuals. How the Centre addresses these questions in its reply to the debate will be closely watched by student groups and civil society organisations tracking examination integrity.