'Ad-hocism undermines institutional memory in public bodies.' Analyse this observation in the context of examination-conducting agencies in India.

Institutional memory is the accumulated procedural knowledge, documented learning and in-house expertise that lets an organisation avoid repeating its own mistakes. Ad-hocism — temporary staffing, outsourced processes and event-driven firefighting — dissolves this reservoir. The Supreme Court's May 2026 criticism of the National Testing Agency's "ad-hocism" after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak illustrates the observation precisely [5].

How ad-hocism manifests in examination agencies

• The NTA, created in 2017 to conduct NEET-UG, JEE Main, CUET and UGC-NET, operates with a thin permanent core, relying heavily on deputationists, empanelled experts and outsourced vendors for paper-setting, printing and logistics [6][1].
• Sensitive pre-exam functions thus sit with rotating external actors: the CBI's NEET-UG 2026 investigation led to 13 arrests across seven cities, including an NTA-linked expert and coaching faculty [2].

Erosion of institutional memory

• No learning loop: the NEET-UG 2024 irregularities and the 2026 leak expose similar question-paper custody weaknesses, suggesting corrective knowledge was never institutionalised [2].
• SOPs without ownership: short-tenure officers leave before internalising exam-security protocols — which is why the Radhakrishnan High-Level Committee was mandated to review NTA's SOPs, data-security processes and organisational structure [1].
• Diffused accountability: where responsibility is contractual, fixing individual liability becomes difficult.

The contrasting model

• The UPSC, a constitutional body under Article 315 with permanent staff and in-house confidential machinery, has sustained leak-free conduct — the benchmark the Court invoked [5].

Ad-hocism therefore converts an examination agency into a project office rather than an institution, trading continuity for convenience. Embedding a full-time expert body within the NTA, implementing the High-Level Committee's recommendations, phasing in secure computer-based testing, and firmly enforcing the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 can convert episodic firefighting into durable capability [3][4]. Credible examinations are ultimately the guarantee of equality of opportunity and merit-based access to professional education.