Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Tuesday, September 1, said stakeholder trust is central to the credibility of public examinations and urged that examination design, governance and logistics be tailored to the nature and scale of each test. Kota made the remarks while joining a consultative meeting of the High-Powered Task Force on Reforms in Public Examinations by video conference; the meeting was chaired by the Union Home Secretary and attended by chief secretaries of states and Union Territories.
Drawing on Assam’s recent experience with large-scale recruitments, Kota said roughly 11 lakh candidates appeared for more than 26,000 posts in the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination in 2022, while about 34 lakh candidates sat tests for over 16,000 posts in 2024. He highlighted Assam’s centralised examination framework and measures to strengthen transparency and accountability.
In a post on X, Kota outlined specific practices Assam uses to build trust: access to OMR sheets, a formal mechanism for challenging answer keys, dedicated anti-cheating legislation, distributed administrative responsibilities, and detailed standard operating procedures. “Stakeholder trust is central to examination credibility, and examination design, governance and logistics must be aligned to the nature and scale of each examination,” he said.
Kota also described efforts to expand computer-based test (CBT) capacity through partnerships with public institutions and private providers, and called for secure CBT infrastructure mapping, particularly in underserved districts. He noted such infrastructure could be used for skill development and capacity building while improving access.
On security, Kota argued for measures that are strong but proportionate and non-intrusive so integrity is preserved without compromising candidate dignity or convenience. The task force discussion covered end-to-end examination security and preparedness, including question-paper security, examination-centre management, candidate verification, malpractice prevention, cyber monitoring, risk management and incident review.
Kota said the consultation reinforced the need for coordinated Centre–state action to strengthen the public examination system by combining security and integrity with transparency, accessibility and a candidate-centric approach.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/stakeholder-trust-key-to-exam-credibility-assam-chief-secretary-ravi-kota-1445591-2026-09-01?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-09-01 20:56:00
