Yet Another Blow to Students’ Trust in Competitive Exams
Just days after the NEET UG row shook public confidence in the National Testing Agency (NTA), a fresh wave of anger has erupted over the JEE Main 2025 Session 2 exam. Students and parents are flagging factual inaccuracies in questions, discrepancies in response sheets, and a complete lack of response from the NTA.
The JEE Main, a gateway for engineering aspirants across India, is meant to be an objective, high-standard exam. But recent developments are raising serious concerns about the credibility and transparency of the exam process. With lakhs of students’ futures at stake, the reported issues are not just technical glitches—they strike at the heart of academic fairness and integrity.
Kota Students Lead the Charge: At Least Nine Errors Detected
The controversy gained momentum when students from Kota, Rajasthan’s coaching capital, pointed out at least nine factually incorrect questions in the April 9 JEE Main Session 2 paper. The flagged errors include:
· 4 in Physics
· 3 in Chemistry
· 2 in Mathematics
These were not ambiguous or tricky questions, students and educators argue, but blatantly flawed items. Multiple coaching institutes and subject experts have verified these claims, confirming a lapse in NTA’s quality control.
Educator and commentator @kamath_pramod on X stated, “If NTA doesn’t correct this, it’s an injustice to lakhs of students.” Another user described the situation as a “tragedy of errors”, citing both flawed answers and incorrect response recordings.
Response Sheet Discrepancies Add Fuel to the Fire
Beyond the flawed questions, students are now raising alarms over response sheets that don’t match their actual exam attempts. Some candidates reported that the answers they selected are not reflected in their sheets; others found their entire response sheet blank.
One parent, Pramod Kamath, shared, “My daughter attempted 71 questions. During submission, it showed 71 attempted. Now, the response sheet shows all as unanswered! No email reply from NTA.”
Another case involved a student from the April 3 shift, who claimed that his chosen answer for a physics question was switched in the final sheet.
The growing number of such complaints has sparked widespread anxiety and confusion, especially as students try to assess their likely rank or prepare for JEE Advanced.
Impact on Students: Stress, Uncertainty, and Eroded Confidence
For students who spend months and even years preparing for the JEE, such errors can be devastating. The pressure of one of India’s toughest exams is already immense. Add to that the frustration of having your hard work potentially invalidated by administrative negligence, and the psychological toll becomes significant.
This situation could jeopardize college admissions, impact scholarship opportunities, and demotivate students who have invested considerable time and money into coaching and preparation.
The credibility crisis not only affects this batch of students but may also undermine future participation and trust in national entrance exams.
Accountability: Who Should Take Responsibility?
The National Testing Agency is under fire for what appears to be gross mismanagement and poor oversight. Despite numerous emails and complaints, NTA has not issued a formal clarification or acknowledgment of the problems. This silence has drawn criticism from educators, parents, and now political leaders.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate took to X to question NTA’s overall competence, citing previous issues with CUET-UG and NEET-UG. “Was the tension of unemployment and paper leaks not enough for our youth that now they have to deal with a weak NTA as well?” she asked.
Clearly, the responsibility lies with the NTA’s paper-setting panel, technical team, and senior leadership, all of whom must be held accountable for such high-stakes errors.
Next Steps: Students Demand Action, Not Silence
With the answer key challenge window closed and results expected by April 17, students are now demanding:
· Bonus marks for incorrect questions
· Review and correction of response sheet errors
· Transparent communication from NTA
Some educators have suggested that an independent review committee be formed to audit this session of the JEE Main and recommend reforms to prevent recurrence.
Fixing a Broken System Before It Breaks More Futures
This controversy is not just about a few wrong questions—it reflects a deeper systemic failure in exam governance. In an environment where education is highly competitive and exam outcomes shape life trajectories, even minor lapses have major consequences.
The NTA must urgently address this issue, offer redressal, and rebuild trust among students, parents, and educators. Going forward, other sectors—be it medical entrance exams, civil services, or university admissions-must adopt stricter quality checks, better digital infrastructure, and faster grievance redressal systems.
India’s aspiring minds deserve not just challenging exams, but fair and flawless ones.
