Was SSC exam chaos engineered? Complaint points to TCS, company denies

A formal complaint filed by the head of a major exam centre alleges that TCS officials pressured staff to create hurdles on the exam day.

In Short

• Complaint alleges TCS disrupted SSC exams after losing key contract
• Government steps in to manage upcoming exams and launch formal inquiry
• Allegations raise concerns over corporate role in public services

The recent disruption and cancellation of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams across India has now led to allegations of corporate interference. What began as confusion over logistics has taken a new turn, with reports suggesting that the chaos was not accidental but deliberate.

Sources within the examination system and centre administrators have pointed fingers at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the former technology partner for SSC exams. TCS, on the other hand, has dismissed the allegations regarding its involvement in the SSC exam disruption, calling them false and baseless.A formal complaint filed by the head of a major exam centre alleges that TCS officials pressured staff to create hurdles on the exam day. According to the complaint, TCS personnel allegedly instructed certain centres to open late, delayed the entry of candidates, and in some cases, advised the centres to remain closed.

The goal, the complaint suggests, was to cause large-scale disruption and undermine the decentralised examination model that the government has recently introduced.

TCS said in its statement: "The speculative and mischievous allegations of TCS’ involvement in the disruption of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams are false and baseless, with no truth to them."

SHIFT IN CONTROL

The government had decided to overhaul the centralised exam system, breaking long-held vendor monopolies and allowing for regional execution of tests.

TCS, which had managed the SSC exams for years, lost its exclusive contract in the process.

The new system aimed to bring more transparency, faster processing, and better oversight. But the recent chaos, including centres reporting missing invigilators, non-functional systems, and lack of communication, cast doubts over the execution.

However, internal reports and complaints now claim that the disruptions were not due to teething issues in the new system, but due to interference from actors who stood to lose from the reforms.

WHAT THE COMPLAINT SAYS

The formal complaint, which is now under review, includes the following allegations:

• Exam staff were asked to delay or deny entry to candidates.
• Certain centres were advised to underperform or not operate at all.
• Attempts were made to influence other centres to do the same.

Here's the full complaint letter as received by India Today:

IMPACT OF SSC DISRUPTIONS

For lakhs of students who appear for SSC exams each year, such disruptions are more than administrative failures, they affect careers, incomes, and families. The exams are often seen as the gateway to stability for students from small towns and modest backgrounds.

The recent incidents have shaken that trust.

While investigations continue, many are now asking deeper questions.

How should the government ensure accountability in public contracts? What checks should exist when large corporations handle public services? And how can future exam processes be insulated from sabotage?

As the SSC moves forward with reforms, these questions will remain central to the debate over corporate roles in public governance.

The answers, however, will need more than a change in contract, they may require a complete rethink of responsibility in the age of privatised public services.