SSC Exam Vendor Eduquity: Series of Failure, Controversy, and Fraud

What happens when the exam you’ve prepared for all year crashes halfway through? Or when your future depends on a system that keeps failing? In 2025, thousands of furious candidates are asking these questions as protests erupt across India against the SSC Exam Vendor Eduquity. 

From server crashes to chaotic centres, every failure has chipped away at trust. Add allegations of blacklisting and fraud, and you have one of SSC’s biggest recruitment scandals in years.

Let’s decode the whole story of Eduquity’s failure in SSC exams that led students to march in the streets!

Overview of SSC and Role of Vendors

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is the government body that conducts some of India’s biggest recruitment exams mainly for Group B and Group  C — CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD Constable, and many more. These exams decide the careers of lakhs of candidates every year.

But here’s something many people don’t realize: SSC doesn’t actually run these exams on its own. It hires vendors — private companies — to handle the technical side:-

• Designing secure examination platforms
  
• Delivering online tests
  
• Storing and managing question banks
  
• Handling biometric verification
  
• Ensuring smooth digital infrastructure
  

For years, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) handled this job. But in a surprise move, SSC handed over the contract to a new company — Eduquity Career Technologies. That’s when the trouble started.

Role of SSC Exam Vendor Eduquity and Outsourcing Issues

When Eduquity stepped in as the new SSC exam vendor, it took on massive responsibility:

• Managing the entire exam delivery for CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD, and more
  
• Handling technical security
  
• Preventing leaks and cheating
  
• Maintaining fairness
  

On paper, this should have been smooth. But in practice? Eduquity’s management of SSC exams has been marred by technical glitches, server crashes, and chaotic centers.

Eduquity won the SSC contract by quoting a much lower price per candidate than TCS. While cost-saving sounds good for the government, experts say it may have come at the expense of quality and reliability.

List of Failures of Eduquity: Blacklisted Yet Trusted?

The most shocking part? Eduquity has a history of controversy even before taking on SSC exams. Reports suggest the company was once blacklisted by the Directorate General of Training over exam mismanagement.

Yet, SSC still gave them the contract for some of the country’s most important recruitment tests.

Here’s a quick breakdown of failures so far in 2025:-

The result? Loss of trust, ruined attempts, and furious protests outside SSC offices.

High-profile Controversies and Allegations

The Eduquity SSC scandal isn’t just about technical problems — it’s now tied to serious allegations of fraud.

Some claims include:-

• Political donations linked to the vendor while holding government contracts
  
• Possible violations of the constitutional rights of candidates
  
• Vendor fraud in government exams with deliberate negligence to cut costs
  

The sources reported large-scale protests after Selection Post Phase 13 Exam chaos — with candidates demanding that SSC terminate Eduquity’s contract and bring back a reliable vendor.

Here are the cases that fueled the protests-

• Exams were cancelled abruptly or delayed beyond the scheduled time. Some students were “late but in delta hours”—like waiting until 10:30 am when it was supposed to start at 9:30 am.
• “Delhi Chalo” protests erupted. At Jantar Mantar and CGO Complex, students and teachers marched, demanding vendor change and accountability. Some teachers were even detained—and an FIR filed.
• Social media lit up with hashtags like #SSCMisManagement, with stories of “mouse didn’t work”, “system crash”, and “exam cancelled—no answer”.
• Legal and ethical alarms sounded—Eduquity faced allegations not just of fraud, but also political donations, rights violations tied to SSC protests.

How Vendor Failures Impact Government Recruitment?

You might think — “Okay, technical glitches happen. Why the uproar?”

Here’s why this is serious:-

• One ruined exam = one lost year for thousands of candidates
  
• Many government exams are held only once annually
  
• Travel, lodging, and preparation costs are wasted
  
• Candidates lose morale and confidence in the system
  
• Public trust in SSC as a fair recruiting body gets destroyed
  

When a vendor fails, it’s not just an IT error — it’s a direct attack on people’s careers and livelihoods.

TCS vs Eduquity Career Technologies

Let’s put the old vendor vs new vendor side-by-side. 

Hence, it’s clear — saving money with Eduquity may have cost SSC its credibility.

Investigation Reports and Legal Actions

The fallout is now attracting official attention:

• Multiple legal petitions have been filed demanding a vendor change.
  
• Media investigations are highlighting vendor selection flaws.
  
• SSC is under pressure to explain why a blacklisted company got the contract.
  

If proven, the allegations could lead to Eduquity losing the contract and possibly facing criminal charges for fraud in public sector recruitment.

Preventing Fraud in Public Sector Exams

The SSC exam mess with Eduquity is a wake-up call for the entire system. Some urgent steps needed include:

• Strict vendor background checks before awarding contracts
  
• Transparent bidding processes with technical audits
  
• Independent monitoring teams during exams
  
• Zero tolerance policy for vendors with past blacklisting
  
• Better grievance redressal systems for candidates
  

Because at the end of the day, government exams aren’t just tests — they’re lifelines.

FAQs on Eduquity SSC Exam Controversy

Q1. Who is Eduquity?

Eduquity Career Technologies is a private company providing exam delivery and assessment services. In 2025, it replaced TCS as the SSC exam vendor.

Q2. Why is Eduquity in controversy?

Because of server crashes, poor exam management, allegations of fraud, and past blacklisting, all while handling crucial SSC exams.

Q3. Was Eduquity ever blacklisted?

Yes, reports indicate Eduquity was blacklisted by the Directorate General of Training over previous mismanagement.

Q4. What is the impact on SSC candidates?

Many candidates have lost exam attempts, money, and a whole year’s opportunity due to Eduquity’s failures.

Q5. Could SSC switch vendors again?

If investigations confirm serious violations, SSC may terminate Eduquity’s contract, possibly returning to TCS or another reliable vendor.

Q6. Why did SSC choose Eduquity over TCS despite technical concerns?

SSC used a combined “Quality + Cost” formula (QCBS). While TCS scored higher technically, Eduquity’s much lower bid gave it the edge overall. 

Q7. What exactly went wrong during the exams?

Candidates reported power cuts, server crashes, broken mice, incomplete questions, delayed starts, misallocated centers—even biometric failures and untrained staff.

Q8. How many complaints were filed, and what actions followed? 

Over 55,000 grievances emerged. SSC offered retests to around 2,500 students and launched investigations, deploying AI and reviewing vendor contracts.

Q9. What were the famous SSC protests? 

Students and teachers marched in Delhi (“Delhi Chalo”), particularly at Jantar Mantar and CGO Complex. Some were detained, and legal cases were filed. The SSC teachers were treated as criminals by the police. 

Q10. What’s next for the SSC exam process? 

Expect vendor reviews, stricter criteria, possibly government oversight, AI safeguards, transparent grievance systems, plus contingency plans to avoid repeat chaos.

Final Thoughts

You work hard for SSC exams because they’re supposed to be your ticket to a stable government job. But when the SSC Exam Vendor Eduquity fails, it’s not just a glitch in the system — it’s a betrayal of trust.

As a candidate, you deserve better: a fair, secure, and transparent exam process. Until the authorities step up and hold vendors accountable, the risk of another series of failures, controversies, and frauds remains high.

And in the end, no cost-cutting measure should ever come at the cost of your future!