Stakeholder trust key to exam credibility: Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota

Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Tuesday, September 1, said stakeholder trust is central to the credibility of examinations and stressed that examination design, governance and logistics must be aligned with the nature and scale of each test.

Kota made the remarks while participating through video conference in a consultative meeting of the High-Powered Task Force on Reforms in Public Examinations, chaired by the Union Home Secretary and attended by chief secretaries of states and Union Territories.

Sharing Assam's experience of conducting large-scale recruitment examinations, including the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination, Kota said around 11 lakh candidates appeared for examinations for more than 26,000 posts in 2022, while around 34 lakh candidates took tests for more than 16,000 posts in 2024.

In a post on X, he highlighted Assam's centralised examination framework, access to OMR sheets, a 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," Kota said.

He also highlighted Assam's efforts to expand computer-based test (CBT) capacity through public institutions and private participation.

Kota stressed the need for strong but proportionate and non-intrusive security measures that safeguard examination integrity while ensuring the dignity and convenience of candidates.

The meeting focused on end-to-end examination security, institutional accountability and preparedness, including question-paper security, examination-centre management, candidate verification, prevention of malpractice, cyber monitoring, risk management and incident review.

Discussions also covered the expansion and mapping of secure CBT infrastructure, particularly in underserved districts. Such infrastructure could potentially be used for skill development and capacity building, while ensuring accessibility, reasonable travel distances and facilities for persons with disabilities, he said.

Kota said the consultation underscored the importance of coordinated efforts between the Centre and states to strengthen the public examination system by combining security and integrity with transparency, accessibility and a candidate-centric approach.