Since its establishment in May 2018, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has faced numerous operational challenges, culminating in a significant crisis following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 exam due to a paper leak that affected 2.2 million candidates. This incident is part of a broader pattern of failures, including technical glitches and question paper errors, which have plagued the agency since its inception. A parliamentary report revealed that at least five out of fourteen examinations conducted by NTA in 2024 and early 2025 encountered major issues, leading to the postponement of exams like UGC-NET and NEET-PG. The Radhakrishnan committee, formed in response to these crises, recommended critical reforms such as increasing permanent staffing and enhancing oversight of outsourced operations. However, only three out of sixteen new posts have been filled, and NTA continues to rely heavily on 43 contractual employees, which has been cited as a key factor in its ongoing vulnerabilities. Experts argue that structural weaknesses and a lack of accountability are at the heart of NTA's persistent problems, with calls for greater in-house capacity and reduced dependence on contract workers.