NEW DELHI — Appearing before lawmakers this week, the chief of the national testing agency assured parliament that the recent exam leak, which led to the cancellation of tests for 2.27 million students, did not occur through any official internal system, but rather through the agency's own personnel.

"We can state categorically that our robust security infrastructure was not compromised," said an agency spokesperson, referring to an ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation probe that recently traced the origins of the leak directly to an agency source. "The breach was entirely external, provided you do not count the chemistry lecturer sitting on our official panel who facilitated it."

The agency emphasized that its protocols functioned perfectly, much like they did during the 2024 exam leak, which officials similarly categorized as having "no widespread, systemic breach." Investigators, meanwhile, noted that while the agency's systems remain impenetrable, the secondary market is operating with high efficiency, citing a medical student who purchased the leaked paper for Rs 10 lakh and successfully resold it for Rs 15 lakh to net a Rs 5 lakh profit.

"The core testing system is flawless," the official added, speaking to reporters while reviewing a list of agency officials currently under CBI scanner for potential involvement. "It is only the people operating, designing, and overseeing the system who appear to be the problem."