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Can Blockchain Technology Put an End to NEET-Like Leaks? Experts Shed Light
THE NEET UG Test 2024 has been compromised by a leak, prompting the CBI to arrest several school managements, solver teams and others involved in acquiring and sharing exam papers with students on social media. The legal actions, including involving the Supreme Court, are aimed at examining the impact and could lead to a review if the leak is found to be large-scale. With over 23 lakh participants affected, students and their families have stepped up their efforts to fight for justice. This issue has raised serious concerns about the integrity of such important exams conducted in the country, prompting calls for stricter preventive measures.
Can blockchain technology prevent or help reduce the alarming cases of paper leaks like NEET-UG and UGC-NET? Experts say it is possible, especially when it comes to increasing transparency in the conduct of such competitive exams.
Some of the common sources of question paper leaks identified during the CBI investigations into recent cases are internal corruption, hacking by cyber criminals and theft of exam papers from storage facilities or during transit. According to experts News18 spoke to, blockchain could be the way forward. They say that while blockchain technology cannot ensure a complete stop to question paper leaks, it can ensure a fairer and smoother process by identifying the source of the leak.
How can Blockchain technology be useful in exams?
According to EduBlock Pro MD Vikram R Singh, the promise of blockchain technology lies in the elimination of third parties or intermediaries. “It ensures that all transactions and records are securely recorded within a single platform. Candidates become stakeholders in the value chain and the exam paper is locked until the candidate’s private key is applied, ensuring security,” he said. EduBlock is a registered education technology company working to revolutionize exam administration through innovative blockchain solutions.
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Blockchain technology can help implement sequential encryption and real-time document generation and printing, according to EduBlock Pro. This includes asymmetric signature encryption, sequential encryption, multi-party computation and randomized document setter. “NEET paper leakage is a significant issue that affects the careers of many students. Blockchain technology can remove third-party interventions, allowing machines to manage the process in a secure and transparent manner,” Singh explained, adding that it works for online, offline and hybrid exams.
Blockchain-based platform EduBlockPro says its technology secures every step of the exam process, from creating questions to delivering them to students on exam day. The system enables secure operations such as user and exam registration, as well as encryption and decryption of exam papers. The exam board is responsible for setting up, announcing, and administering the test, which includes blocking, creating question paper sets, and assigning exam centers.
The use of public and private key infrastructures enables secure interactions between students, collaborators, and proctors during the decryption and distribution of documents. Validators ensure the accuracy of the question sets, while testing centers manage the delivery of the questionnaire after decryption on the day of the exam. Once the student, administrator, and proctor have entered their keys for the data packet containing the questions, the questionnaires are printed in real time.
Ashutosh Bhatia, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at BITS Pilani, explained that blockchain technology can help find the source of any leak. “Instead of directly stopping the leaks, implementing blockchain technology in the process makes it fairer and more leak-proof,” he said.
“Implementing blockchain technology in the examination process makes it leak-proof by recording every event in the examination chain, from question paper setup to distribution, in a secure ledger so that no changes can be made. It also enables traceable delivery of question papers in case of leaks, thereby helping investigative agencies in identifying and assessing the extent of a local or global leak. Blockchain, therefore, ensures accountability and transparency in creating a more robust and reliable examination system,” Bhatia told News18.
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Educator Praneet Mungali, trustee of Sanskriti Group of Schools in Pune, agrees. “The underlying architecture of blockchain technology makes it almost impossible to hack. That’s why it’s also called an ‘immutable ledger.’ Using blockchain technology to secure any digital asset like questionnaires creates a much more robust digital landscape,” he said.
What is Blockchain?
Blockchain is basically a decentralized digital ledger that uses cryptography to securely store and verify data across a network of computers. It is made up of blocks of data that are linked together in a chain, with each block containing a timestamp, transaction data, and a cryptographic hash of the previous block.
Blocks are linked in a way that makes it difficult to alter or insert blocks, and each new block strengthens the verification of previous blocks. This makes the blockchain immutable, or unalterable, and creates a consistent record of transactions that all members of the network can trust.
The blockchain database can be shared across a network of computers. “Once a record is added to the chain, it is very difficult to change. To ensure that all copies of the database are the same, the network performs constant checks. Blockchains have been used to underpin cybercurrencies such as bitcoin, but many other potential uses are emerging,” according to a June 2018 Reuters report.
Conventional Technology vs. Blockchain
The current system relies on centralized servers and databases, which makes it susceptible to data breaches and manipulation, according to EduBlock Pro. It also relies on a centralized authority or server, which gives them control over the exam process and results, making the entire process vulnerable to manipulation.
Professor Vidhu Shekhar, associate professor of finance and economics at SPJIMR, said that the access control, secure storage, tamper-proof nature and self-explanatory nature of blockchain make it a good candidate for large-scale review processes.
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“Exam papers can be encrypted and stored on a blockchain, making it difficult for unauthorized access. Students can access the exam papers using their private keys at the time of the exam, or the exam center manager can use his private keys to print the papers at a specific time. The distribution of the papers can also be tracked and recorded on the blockchain,” he explained.
Additionally, there are no significant challenges in implementing blockchain technology as it involves upgrading the current system. “The approach eliminates middlemen, designs the question papers in an easel-like fashion and prints them in real time, reducing operational complexities before and after the exam. For example, a proof-of-concept test conducted with the Punjab government involved 300 students and was conducted without any issues, indicating scalability,” Singh told News18, adding that the cost of implementing the new system is not expected to exceed the current operational costs. The new technology will help eliminate transportation and paper printing costs, he added.
Educator Praneet Mungali, trustee of Sanskriti Group of Schools in Pune, agrees. “The underlying architecture of blockchain technology makes it almost impossible to hack. That’s why it’s also called an ‘immutable ledger.’ Using blockchain technology to secure any digital asset like questionnaires creates a much more robust digital landscape,” he said.
What is Blockchain?
Blockchain is basically a decentralized digital ledger that uses cryptography to securely store and verify data across a network of computers. It is made up of blocks of data that are linked together in a chain, with each block containing a timestamp, transaction data, and a cryptographic hash of the previous block.
Blocks are linked in a way that makes it difficult to alter or insert blocks, and each new block strengthens the verification of previous blocks. This makes the blockchain immutable, or unalterable, and creates a consistent record of transactions that all members of the network can trust.
The blockchain database can be shared across a network of computers. “Once a record is added to the chain, it is very difficult to change. To ensure that all copies of the database are the same, the network performs constant checks. Blockchains have been used to underpin cybercurrencies such as bitcoin, but many other potential uses are emerging,” according to a June 2018 Reuters report.
Conventional Technology vs. Blockchain
The current system relies on centralized servers and databases, which makes it susceptible to data breaches and manipulation, according to EduBlock Pro. It also relies on a centralized authority or server, which gives them control over the exam process and results, making the entire process vulnerable to manipulation.
Professor Vidhu Shekhar, associate professor of finance and economics at SPJIMR, said that the access control, secure storage, tamper-proof nature and self-explanatory nature of blockchain make it a good candidate for large-scale review processes.