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What happens to its $1.5 billion US exports?IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli on the verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s big record | Cricket NewsA Wisconsin father gave his son a stake in the family car dealership, but a feud over ownership and company money lasted more than a decade; an appeals court upheld $321,330 in civil-theft damages against the sonRBA raises interest rates to 18-year high in fifth hike this year, piling pressure on borrowersWhy India’s 99th GM had to do it twice: The latest mystery of Indian chess, VS Rathanvel | Chess NewsCan Trump defy history? The big battles shaping US midtermsAmericans head to midterms with inflation weighing on their wallets and Trump’s economic recordIND A vs NZ A: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Rathod hit centuries as India A vs New Zealand A 2nd unofficial Test ends in draw | Cricket NewsThe Milky Way grew by devouring galaxies, leaving a trail of ghost starsNetanyahu open to ‘broad’ government formation after election setback but rules out Arab partiesChina best placed to launch AI-powered cyberattacks on Britain, UK security agency warnsHarsh on Jasprit Bumrah to say he’s picking and choosing matches: Shane Bond | Cricket NewsNew technique uses light to spot deepfakes in secondsUS judge allows Satanic Temple holiday event at Iowa CapitolUS businesses are borrowing less from banks. Is cheaper financing drawing them elsewhere?‘Hopefully he plays some domestic’: Shubman Gill gives update on Hardik Pandya’s comeback | Cricket NewsHow smoking sets the stage for lung cancer, glimpsed in new studyAn Atlanta landlord started a $50,000 fundraiser to help families facing eviction during the pandemic; six years later, it has grown into a $16.5 million relief effort that has helped more than 5,500 families stay housedSouth Korea’s inflation cools to 2.8%. Why is another rate hike still expected?India A vs New Zealand A 2nd Unofficial Test Day 4 Live Score: Yashasvi Jaiswal closes in on ton as India build lead against New Zealand AA slow loris feared possibly extinct had not been documented since the 1930s; researchers have now identified more than 90 individuals in Indonesia, and 86 have been rehabilitated and releasedApple’s earnings beat Wall Street under new CEO John Ternus. So why did its shares fall?Virat Kohli has better chance of scoring century than Rohit Sharma: Former India cricketer drops big verdict | Cricket NewsAn Australian couple tore out 40 acres of grapevines from their Riverland property in 2022 and replanted it with native bush; four generations of their family have helped, and the threatened regent parrot is returningShaheen Afridi pleads guilty as Pakistan punished after tri-series win; Babar advised to ‘go to Australia’ amid poor form | Cricket NewsIn 2017, a couple moved to a remote outback station in New South Wales, fenced off 4,000 hectares and cleared it of rabbits, cats, foxes; 10 years later, bilbies, bandicoots, bettongs, gone for over 100 years, are back and breedingFIDE Rankings: R Praggnanandhaa only Indian chess player in world’s top 10; where is Gukesh? | Chess NewsAfter nearly 40 years of monitoring, California scientists recorded 64.72°F water 200 feet below Monterey Bay on October 26, beating a 1997 record as El Niño brought tropical species into the regionHistory maker! Alexander Zverev becomes oldest first-time world No. 1 in 52 years, joins Boris Becker in elite German club | Tennis NewsA Nebraska couple faced the court-ordered sale of their family home over a commercial lease debt owed only by the husband; the state’s Supreme Court vacated the sale decree because it wrongly covered the wife’s shareNo election for IOA Athletes’ Commission as all 10 candidates declared unopposed | More sports NewsIn 2019, Stephen Curry backed Howard University’s first Division I golf teams after a student asked him for help; seven years later, the women won their first NEC title and the men secured a third straight crown in 2026Nine wickets before India A call-up! 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What October’s factory data say about Europe’s economyHighest-ever! Afghanistan make historic leap, overtake Sri Lanka, England and West Indies in ODI rankings | Cricket NewsAn Indiana father lost his $350,000-a-year job after 26 years and moved to Virginia for work; an October 29 court upheld giving his ex-wife sole legal custody of their son and ordering him to pay $4,000 in legal feesTax relief for foreign investors? India’s market regulator wants to scrap LTCG, says reportShafali Verma’s heroics, Harmanpreet’s catch and Deepti’s five-for: The night that changed Indian women’s cricket forever with ODI World Cup win | Cricket NewsMeet Connor Arbach, the 13-year-old from North Dakota who turned a bag of seasoned pretzels into a homemade snack business, selling his own flavours for $2 a bag | World NewsFor the first time, Indian shipyards to build Navy-designed warships under competitive biddingIndia at Auckland’s Eden Park: Wins, losses and record ahead of New Zealand ODI series | Cricket News‘Act responsibly’: Taliban urges US over planned deportation of Afghan immigrantsWest Asia energy shock more than doubles Asia’s fuel costs as supply disruptions bite‘We don’t play enough T20’: Gautam Gambhir asks players to ‘stay in shape’ after New Zealand series | Cricket NewsShakira’s Barefoot Foundation has supported over 224,000 disadvantaged children, with 8 in 10 graduates pursuing higher education; its funding is building schools, training teachers and supporting Indigenous communities | World NewsIndia’s factory growth slows in October as domestic demand weakens, export orders jumpNo Starc, Cummins or Hazlewood in squad as Australia name several new faces for England series | Cricket NewsWhat India’s leaky exam system can learn from Soviet shoe factoriesA Kentucky man married his partner of nearly 30 years in a hospital 15 days before she died; after her daughter challenged the ceremony, an October 30 appeals court overturned the ruling that had voided the marriageWhy Binance is seeing a surge in withdrawals after a $6.3 billion heistIndia vs New Zealand: Shubman Gill turns up the volume at Eden Park; Virat Kohli opts for gym, Rohit Sharma stays indoors | Cricket NewsBrooklyn woman critically injured in stabbing attack while jogging; NYPD seeks witnesses‘Debt is too big, population too old’: Economist Rogoff says Europe is dying a slow deathWarning bells despite series victory: Seifert, Phillips, Milne expose India’s flaws in Hamilton | Cricket NewsWhy even a strong El Niño does not guarantee a poor Indian monsoonUS explores route to bring Russian gas back to Europe through Ukraine: ReportWhy Tesla and Samsung are resisting Trump’s latest tariff push against VietnamIndian Cricket Team: 400 and counting: Why India are ahead of the curve in six-hitting | Cricket NewsScience Snapshots: November 1, 2026Trump Netanyahu Conversation: Netanyahu pushes Donald Trump for fresh Iran strikes after US midterms: ReportJapan’s factory growth slows to seven-month low in October as cost pressures riseDouble injury blow! Two key players ruled out as New Zealand name updated ODI squad for India series | Cricket NewsIn the 12th century, Nepalese artisans made a 93cm gilt-copper Manjushri statue; after Geneva, New York and Asian collections, it sold for about Rs 166 crore in 2026, setting a Himalayan gilt-bronze auction recordUS-Canada trade reset? Trump signals ‘concept’ for a new deal with Carney‘Sanju mera first-choice’: Ashwin comes to Samson’s defence after New Zealand series struggles, delivers witty response | Cricket NewsScientists have developed a new technology that could make electric car batteries smaller, lighter and longer-lasting, potentially letting drivers travel farther on a single charge without carrying a heavier batteryIND vs NZ 5th T20I: Mitchell Santner surpasses Ish Sodhi to become New Zealand’s most-capped player | Cricket News
Tue. Nov 3rd, 2026
Trending News: A 57-year-old woman has been charged after police recovered dozens of keepsakes allegedly stolen from graves at a Milton cemetery; about 20 families reported missing lanterns, plants and memorial itemsIndia’s Mukesh Ambani overtakes China’s Zhang Yiming to become Asia’s richest personFrom boy wonder to leader: Shubman Gill returns to the land of his firsts | Cricket NewsThe cow, the flea and the genome: One Health and the statecraft of preventionA British man left his £180,000 estate to a diabetes charity in a will written on a frozen fish box and a mince pie packet; the High Court later ruled it was valid | World NewsUS midterms unlikely to derail AI investment boom, but shutdown risks loomKimi Antonelli: A nightmare rookie season, replacing Lewis Hamilton, and the making of F1’s youngest-ever World Champion | Racing NewsTwo former partners’ fight over a Sausalito house led to a legal-fee demand of $90,010; a California federal judge has now ordered one to pay the other $66,192.50 after a partially successful court motionTrump targets South Africa again. What happens to its $1.5 billion US exports?IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli on the verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s big record | Cricket NewsA Wisconsin father gave his son a stake in the family car dealership, but a feud over ownership and company money lasted more than a decade; an appeals court upheld $321,330 in civil-theft damages against the sonRBA raises interest rates to 18-year high in fifth hike this year, piling pressure on borrowersWhy India’s 99th GM had to do it twice: The latest mystery of Indian chess, VS Rathanvel | Chess NewsCan Trump defy history? The big battles shaping US midtermsAmericans head to midterms with inflation weighing on their wallets and Trump’s economic recordIND A vs NZ A: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yash Rathod hit centuries as India A vs New Zealand A 2nd unofficial Test ends in draw | Cricket NewsThe Milky Way grew by devouring galaxies, leaving a trail of ghost starsNetanyahu open to ‘broad’ government formation after election setback but rules out Arab partiesChina best placed to launch AI-powered cyberattacks on Britain, UK security agency warnsHarsh on Jasprit Bumrah to say he’s picking and choosing matches: Shane Bond | Cricket NewsNew technique uses light to spot deepfakes in secondsUS judge allows Satanic Temple holiday event at Iowa CapitolUS businesses are borrowing less from banks. Is cheaper financing drawing them elsewhere?‘Hopefully he plays some domestic’: Shubman Gill gives update on Hardik Pandya’s comeback | Cricket NewsHow smoking sets the stage for lung cancer, glimpsed in new studyAn Atlanta landlord started a $50,000 fundraiser to help families facing eviction during the pandemic; six years later, it has grown into a $16.5 million relief effort that has helped more than 5,500 families stay housedSouth Korea’s inflation cools to 2.8%. Why is another rate hike still expected?India A vs New Zealand A 2nd Unofficial Test Day 4 Live Score: Yashasvi Jaiswal closes in on ton as India build lead against New Zealand AA slow loris feared possibly extinct had not been documented since the 1930s; researchers have now identified more than 90 individuals in Indonesia, and 86 have been rehabilitated and releasedApple’s earnings beat Wall Street under new CEO John Ternus. So why did its shares fall?Virat Kohli has better chance of scoring century than Rohit Sharma: Former India cricketer drops big verdict | Cricket NewsAn Australian couple tore out 40 acres of grapevines from their Riverland property in 2022 and replanted it with native bush; four generations of their family have helped, and the threatened regent parrot is returningShaheen Afridi pleads guilty as Pakistan punished after tri-series win; Babar advised to ‘go to Australia’ amid poor form | Cricket NewsIn 2017, a couple moved to a remote outback station in New South Wales, fenced off 4,000 hectares and cleared it of rabbits, cats, foxes; 10 years later, bilbies, bandicoots, bettongs, gone for over 100 years, are back and breedingFIDE Rankings: R Praggnanandhaa only Indian chess player in world’s top 10; where is Gukesh? | Chess NewsAfter nearly 40 years of monitoring, California scientists recorded 64.72°F water 200 feet below Monterey Bay on October 26, beating a 1997 record as El Niño brought tropical species into the regionHistory maker! Alexander Zverev becomes oldest first-time world No. 1 in 52 years, joins Boris Becker in elite German club | Tennis NewsA Nebraska couple faced the court-ordered sale of their family home over a commercial lease debt owed only by the husband; the state’s Supreme Court vacated the sale decree because it wrongly covered the wife’s shareNo election for IOA Athletes’ Commission as all 10 candidates declared unopposed | More sports NewsIn 2019, Stephen Curry backed Howard University’s first Division I golf teams after a student asked him for help; seven years later, the women won their first NEC title and the men secured a third straight crown in 2026Nine wickets before India A call-up! Harsh Dubey scripts history with stunning Ranji Trophy spell | Cricket NewsA Nebraska man signed a two-page handwritten will leaving his estate to his longtime partner, but she wrote most of it herself; after his death, the state Supreme Court has ruled the document cannot replace his 1984 willIndia’s Dr Reddy’s gets US nod for $40 generic HIV prevention shot for 120 poorer countriesRishabh Pant’s fitness test set for November 9; CoE informs team management | Cricket NewsPower outage hits Washington DC’s Foggy Bottom, over 1,100 Pepco customers affected16-year-old Dhinidhi Desinghu scripts history at Youth Olympics, becomes first Indian swimmer to win a medal | More sports NewsUS midterms: Five flashpoints election officials are watching as America votesAI boom comes with a debt bomb: Magnificent Seven borrowing surges 45% to $578 billionDilpreet Singh scores brace as India thrash South Korea 8-0 to finish Asian Champions Trophy league stage unbeaten | Hockey NewsTrump’s Justice dept steps into US midterm battles before votes are counted, breaks decades-old practiceMusk’s SpaceX in talks to buy Boost Mobile or access its network, report says‘Why should I wake up at 5 am?’: Sarfaraz Khan opens up on India snubs, motivation and father’s support | Cricket NewsIn 2014, a New Jersey surfer began selling açai bowls from a roadside cart with less than $5,000; by 2026, Playa Bowls had passed 400 stores after recording $332 million in systemwide sales in 2025‘They should talk it out’: Sitharaman urges Tata Group to resolve internal disputeNaman Dhir makes his mark on maiden overseas tour, wins India’s Impact Player of the Series medal | Cricket NewsFridges hacked, food spoiled: Cyberattack disrupts supermarkets across Europe‘We will do it’: PM Modi sets sights on India’s next phase of renewable energy expansionAbhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi feature in Tilak Varma-led India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup | Cricket NewsArnold Schwarzenegger backed a project to plant traditional fig trees in Uganda; the initiative aims to restore forests while protecting local livelihoods | World NewsRussia’s war-time economy shows signs of stabilising as factory slump easesNo Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu at Korea Open after Hylo Open triumph; Prannoy, Tanvi lead India’s challenge | Badminton NewsPower outage hits Spain’s La Palma as heavy rain lashes Canary IslandsChina’s aviation boom is losing altitude as its three biggest airlines head for losses‘Ka mau te wehi’: Shreyas Iyer’s four-word post after India win NZ series leaves fans searching for meaning | Cricket NewsShock and regret: scientists react to AI roiling life’s workA Virginia couple turned their gravel backyard into a garden for their toddlers after buying a century-old home; a year later, neighbour claimed part of the land was his and demanded that fence be removed | World NewsGermany expands, France contracts. What October’s factory data say about Europe’s economyHighest-ever! Afghanistan make historic leap, overtake Sri Lanka, England and West Indies in ODI rankings | Cricket NewsAn Indiana father lost his $350,000-a-year job after 26 years and moved to Virginia for work; an October 29 court upheld giving his ex-wife sole legal custody of their son and ordering him to pay $4,000 in legal feesTax relief for foreign investors? India’s market regulator wants to scrap LTCG, says reportShafali Verma’s heroics, Harmanpreet’s catch and Deepti’s five-for: The night that changed Indian women’s cricket forever with ODI World Cup win | Cricket NewsMeet Connor Arbach, the 13-year-old from North Dakota who turned a bag of seasoned pretzels into a homemade snack business, selling his own flavours for $2 a bag | World NewsFor the first time, Indian shipyards to build Navy-designed warships under competitive biddingIndia at Auckland’s Eden Park: Wins, losses and record ahead of New Zealand ODI series | Cricket News‘Act responsibly’: Taliban urges US over planned deportation of Afghan immigrantsWest Asia energy shock more than doubles Asia’s fuel costs as supply disruptions bite‘We don’t play enough T20’: Gautam Gambhir asks players to ‘stay in shape’ after New Zealand series | Cricket NewsShakira’s Barefoot Foundation has supported over 224,000 disadvantaged children, with 8 in 10 graduates pursuing higher education; its funding is building schools, training teachers and supporting Indigenous communities | World NewsIndia’s factory growth slows in October as domestic demand weakens, export orders jumpNo Starc, Cummins or Hazlewood in squad as Australia name several new faces for England series | Cricket NewsWhat India’s leaky exam system can learn from Soviet shoe factoriesA Kentucky man married his partner of nearly 30 years in a hospital 15 days before she died; after her daughter challenged the ceremony, an October 30 appeals court overturned the ruling that had voided the marriageWhy Binance is seeing a surge in withdrawals after a $6.3 billion heistIndia vs New Zealand: Shubman Gill turns up the volume at Eden Park; Virat Kohli opts for gym, Rohit Sharma stays indoors | Cricket NewsBrooklyn woman critically injured in stabbing attack while jogging; NYPD seeks witnesses‘Debt is too big, population too old’: Economist Rogoff says Europe is dying a slow deathWarning bells despite series victory: Seifert, Phillips, Milne expose India’s flaws in Hamilton | Cricket NewsWhy even a strong El Niño does not guarantee a poor Indian monsoonUS explores route to bring Russian gas back to Europe through Ukraine: ReportWhy Tesla and Samsung are resisting Trump’s latest tariff push against VietnamIndian Cricket Team: 400 and counting: Why India are ahead of the curve in six-hitting | Cricket NewsScience Snapshots: November 1, 2026Trump Netanyahu Conversation: Netanyahu pushes Donald Trump for fresh Iran strikes after US midterms: ReportJapan’s factory growth slows to seven-month low in October as cost pressures riseDouble injury blow! Two key players ruled out as New Zealand name updated ODI squad for India series | Cricket NewsIn the 12th century, Nepalese artisans made a 93cm gilt-copper Manjushri statue; after Geneva, New York and Asian collections, it sold for about Rs 166 crore in 2026, setting a Himalayan gilt-bronze auction recordUS-Canada trade reset? Trump signals ‘concept’ for a new deal with Carney‘Sanju mera first-choice’: Ashwin comes to Samson’s defence after New Zealand series struggles, delivers witty response | Cricket NewsScientists have developed a new technology that could make electric car batteries smaller, lighter and longer-lasting, potentially letting drivers travel farther on a single charge without carrying a heavier batteryIND vs NZ 5th T20I: Mitchell Santner surpasses Ish Sodhi to become New Zealand’s most-capped player | Cricket News
Tue. Nov 3rd, 2026

What India’s leaky exam system can learn from Soviet shoe factories

What India’s leaky exam system can learn from Soviet shoe factories


Students write the entrance test for the 2025-26 academic year at Alva’s Kannada Medium School in March 2025.

Students write the entrance test for the 2025-26 academic year at Alva’s Kannada Medium School in March 2025.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

While the protests in New Delhi, the Centre relenting, and the petitions at the Supreme Court bent the arc of justice towards the lakhs of students who had suffered from leaked examination papers, neither the Cockroach Janta Party-led opposition nor the ruling dispensation have offered any concrete steps to prevent future leaks, beyond administrative reshuffles and legislative amendments. Neither seems wiser than the other.

The operations of the National Testing Agency (NTA) bear an uncanny resemblance to those of state-owned shoe factories in Soviet Russia. Since these factories were not driven by consumer demand, factories could meet the required production quotas they got from above by producing N number of pairs within a narrow range of sizes, regardless of whether they lay unsold on the shelves. Sure, shoe prices had been kept frozen for decades, calculated as a percentage of the lowest government wage, but the shoes did not fit your feet. Workers and lower management had no incentives to be resource-efficient, and pilferage of leather, glue, and rubber was rampant. 

Published – November 02, 2026 10:00 am IST

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