The issue generated after irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), an examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to the medical courses came to the fore has raised many serious questions. First the issue of contention is that a record 67 students obtained a perfect score of 720 out of 23,33,297 who appeared for the test. Never have more than three students got full marks in this test since 2020. Afterwards many students reported that they were not given question paper on time or wrong paper was given to them. The Optical Marks Recognition (OMR) sheet of some students was torn and their results delayed. For no fault of the candidates the result was blocked.
It has to be taken seriously because such situations put the students in extreme mental stress. Many students make more than one attempt. They are even more affected. The students at this tender age are unable to bear the stress as they feel their dreams being lost. They can resort to extreme any step under the stressful conditions.
It should be found out whether there was leakage of papers and at whose behest? That many OMR sheets were torn shows total failure of the National Testing Agency (NTA) which should be held accountable and the concerned persons should be taken to task. Affected students should be given relief like giving grace marks. The NTA has now decided to cancel the grace marks and re-examine 1563 students. Some students have raised the question as to why whole test should not be conducted again because retest for a few under this stressful condition can never be a level playing field and they may not perform as they did this time. In case of re-examination the expenditure should be borne by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
It is an irony that the admissions to the higher education courses have not been streamlined even after so many years. The very basic principle of education for all and its purpose to prepare good citizens and empathetic doctors is being flouted. Instead of becoming means to fulfil the above mentioned objectives education is becoming means to make profits. At one time the marks obtained in the 12th class were the criteria for admission to higher courses. MCQ as the means of judgment of one’s knowledge has limited the scope of assessment at a wider scale. Several coaching centres have come up for the students appearing in the NEET and for various other disciplines too. The schools encourage the students to join the coaching centres and show dummy attendance in their schools. These coaching centres are charging exorbitantly from the students which the students from low socio-economic status are unable to afford. It has also been found that the proportion of students from rural background in the medical profession has come down.
The entrance test was started at national level so as to ensure that the private medical colleges are not able to charge exorbitant fee and not hold their own exams. But they have found other means. The private medical colleges hold mop-up counselling for the students at the fag end of admission process. They charge hefty amounts amounting to crores of rupees. This deprives the students form low income and middle income group students both.
Several states are demanding that they should be given right to take decision in the admission process in their respective states and they be exempted from NEET for the state quota seats. NEET should only be done for the central quota and for central government controlled colleges. This will protect the states’ rights to provide education. It must be recognised that in our country there is diversity in cultures and level of development.
Therefore it is important that the students from low economic status should be supported by the government. Fees in the private colleges should be capped and made transparent including for the management quota seats. The clause of charging government level fees in the private colleges for 50% seats should be effectively implemented. Government should decide the fees for other seats. Students from the rural back ground should be given extra marks in admissions.
It is important therefore to hold detailed dialogue among various stake holders including students’ organisations, teachers’ organizations and academicians to reach a consensus. It is important to ensure that education does not become ‘only for profit’. State should own the responsibility to impart education on the principles laid down by the Kothari commission.
Dr Arun Mitra is a Practicing ENT Surgeon in Ludhiana, Punjab. He is also the President of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) www.idpd.org
