Letters: concerns over social media/agent websites and protection of students’ personal data in CUET/NEET and exam-related processes
The letters section highlights privacy risks in competitive-examination data handling and calls for action under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
What happened
The letters section raises allegations that websites and other digital platforms linked to the circulation or sale of candidate databases for CUET and NEET may be violating privacy and lawful standards. The concern is that such data can be misused for fraud, identity theft, and exploitation by coaching institutes and admission agents.
The writers ask the authorities, including the National Testing Agency and the government, to investigate such websites and impose stringent penalties. They also argue that personal data collected for examinations should not be commercialised without clear consent.
UPSC may link this issue to the state’s duty to protect personal data collected for public examinations, the enforcement architecture under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the wider problem of cyber-enabled fraud. The West Asia reference can be used to test understanding of ceasefire diplomacy, UN relevance, and the limits of non-state or regional brokering.
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