New Delhi: Pointing out irregularities and lapses in the conduct of NEET-UG, CUET and UGC-NET examinations, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has passed a resolution saying such issues cast serious doubts on the credibility of the system. The ABVP identified the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) by name for ‘creating distrust among students, parents, and the general public toward the regulatory framework’.
It made these comments in a resolution passed at the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad national executive council meeting which took place in Odisha between 29 and 31 May.
The national executive council unanimously adopted the resolution titled ‘Effective ground-level implementation is necessary to make educational reforms successful’.
Saying many significant reforms have been implemented to make the education system transparent, quality-oriented, and student-centric, it stressed that even the functioning of regulatory and accreditation bodies such as National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA) has come under scrutiny.
Both the NTA and the education ministry have faced severe public outrage due to irregularities, paper leaks, and mismanagement surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while terming the controversies related to NEET and CBSE as unfortunate, said the government accepts responsibility and is working to ensure lapses are not repeated.
“The National Testing Agency (NTA) has faced significant criticism regarding its repeated irregularities and mismanagement of various entrance and recruitment examinations. The NEET-UG examination, considered a prestigious gateway, has been marred by serious controversies including question paper leaks and examination irregularities, leading to widespread distrust among students,” a statement by ABVP said.
It added that the CUET examination system has created practical difficulties for students, including last-minute changes in examination centers, varying application fees across different universities, delayed admission processes, and failure to implement a truly integrated admissions system.
“The UGC/CSIR-NET examination has also been plagued by irregularities. These systemic issues stem from administrative lapses, inadequate security measures, poor infrastructure, and lack of institutional accountability, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the examination system,” it added.
ABVP carried out nationwide demonstrations including one outside the NTA headquarters in New Delhi on 13 May.
“Lack of transparency in evaluation processes, allegations of institutional manipulation in rankings and accreditation data, incidents of corruption, and delays in evaluation mechanisms have raised serious questions about the credibility of quality assurance in higher education. Such circumstances are creating distrust among students, parents, and the general public toward the regulatory framework,” it said in the statement.
It also said that while the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisioned reforms including the four-year undergraduate program (FYUGP), Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), Multiple Entry Multiple Exit (MEME), academic flexibility, and multidisciplinary education, the lack of institutional preparedness, inadequate academic planning, weak digital infrastructure, and absence of clear implementation guidelines have created significant confusion among students and teachers.
“Concerns regarding credit transfer mechanisms, degree equivalence, academic continuity, and employability have further complicated the implementation process. In many institutions, these reforms have been rolled out without adequate awareness, teacher training, and administrative coordination, resulting in suboptimal implementation. Institutional management lapses in educational institutions have adversely affected decision-making processes, administrative accountability, and the overall academic environment,” the statement added.
It said curriculum reforms proposed under NEP 2020 have not been effectively implemented with necessary structural changes in many institutions, diminishing their expected impact on education quality.
Adding, “Furthermore, fee hikes in numerous universities and educational institutions have created confusion and concern among the common public regarding NEP 2020. Delays in recruitment processes have also led to demoralization among qualified youth and teachers.”
The National Executive Council (NEC) of ABVP urged both central and state governments to share equal responsibility for implementing educational reforms effectively given that education falls under the concurrent list.
“While policy commitment is essential, addressing practical implementation challenges is equally crucial for the success of education reforms. The failure to implement these reforms on the ground in a timely manner threatens the very purpose of future initiatives like Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan. Therefore, the (NEC) urges both central and state governments to fulfill their constitutional responsibility by ensuring adequate resources for effective implementation of education reforms and ensuring that benefits reach the last person in society,” it said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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