The Indian medical entrance exam re-sit is underway behind walls of unprecedented security. Bag checks. Metal detectors.
Armed guards. All after a paper leak forced the cancellation of the original test, throwing thousands of aspiring doctors into chaos. But the story doesn't end in India.
It leads straight to the corridors of British examination boards. Sources confirm that the leaked paper originated from a UK-based test provider. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has not named the board, but documents uncovered by this newsroom show that the contract for the exam was awarded to a British firm with a history of security lapses.
The company, which has subsidiaries in multiple countries, has previously been fined for failing to protect exam materials in Kenya and Bangladesh. Now, the Indian government is demanding answers. The UK examination board denies any wrongdoing, but internal emails leaked to this journalist reveal panic.
One senior executive wrote: 'If this goes public, we lose every contract in South Asia.' The NTA has launched a criminal investigation. Police in Delhi have arrested four people in connection with the leak, including a former employee of the British firm.
But the questions keep piling up. Who else was involved? How much money changed hands?
And why did the UK board ignore warnings about the vulnerability of its digital platform? The British government is now under pressure to intervene. MPs on the International Development Committee have called for an inquiry.
'This is not just about India,' said one member, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'This is about the integrity of UK examinations worldwide.' The re-sit itself is being held in 150 centres across India, with special observers from the Ministry of Education.
Students say they are relieved to have a second chance, but angry that they had to pay for the board's incompetence. 'I saved for two years to pay the exam fee,' said one candidate in Mumbai. 'Now I have to do it again because someone wanted to make a quick buck selling papers.
' The irony is not lost. The exam is designed to select the best future doctors. But the system meant to ensure merit has been infected by greed.
As the re-sit proceeds, the NTA has promised to tighten security for all future exams. But for the thousands who wrote the original test only to have it nullified, the damage is done. And for the UK examination board, the countdown to a major scandal has begun.