By Ummar Jamal
The recent announcement of NEET results has caused an uproar across India. With nearly 23 lakh students appearing for the highly competitive entrance exam this year, the stakes were incredibly high. The pressure on students is immense, given the limited number of prestigious medical colleges in the country. The expectation is that such a significant exam should be conducted with utmost integrity. However, recurring discrepancies and issues of paper leaks and exam misconduct have shattered this expectation, leaving students and their families in despair.
Alarming Increase in Paper Leaks and Misconduct
In a disturbing trend, paper leaks and exam-related scams have become increasingly common over the past few years. Just days after the NEET exam 2024, Bihar police arrested 13 individuals involved in a paper leak scandal. On May 10th, a racket assisting NEET aspirants was uncovered in Godhra, Gujarat. Reports indicate that the accused had received large sums of money from students in exchange for completing their answer sheets. This particular scam was run by Parashuram Roy of Roy Overseas Company, along with another individual, Tushar Bhatt.
According to an investigation by the Indian Express, there have been 41 paper leaks in India over the past five years, affecting around 14 million job seekers. Such frequent breaches undermine the credibility of exams and the fairness of the selection process.
The Impact on Students
For students who dedicate a year or more to prepare for these exams, such misconduct is deeply disheartening. Their hard work and hopes are dashed when their efforts are rendered futile by these scams. The introduction of NEET in 2013 was meant to streamline and bring transparency to medical entrance exams. Initially overseen by the CBSE, the authority to conduct NEET was transferred to the National Testing Agency (NTA) in 2019, with the aim of enhancing transparency. Unfortunately, the opposite seems to have occurred.
When students find out that their efforts are being undermined by cheating and scams, it only leads to heightened stress and anxiety. The uncertainty about the fairness of the exam results prove deeply unsettling. Discovering that the exam they worked so hard for was compromised leads to significant disappointment and disillusionment. This can be particularly devastating for students who have invested years of preparation.
Questionable Practices and Results
The recent NEET results have raised several red flags. On February 9, 2024, NTA opened registration for the exam, with a deadline of March 9. This deadline was extended by a week, and a month later, the registration link was reopened from April 9 to April 10 “on the request of stakeholders.” This raises the question: who were these stakeholders requesting an extension?
After the exam, reports of scams emerged from Gujarat, Bihar, and Odisha. The situation took a bizarre turn on June 4, when the results were declared, showing 67 students achieving AIR 1. This is unprecedented; in the previous year, only two students scored 720 out of 720, and in 2022, the highest score was 715, with no perfect scores. In 2021, only three students achieved a perfect score. The sudden spike to 67 perfect scores this year is perplexing, especially when experts had predicted lower scores due to the tough paper.
NTA’s explanation for this anomaly was vague. They stated that 50 out of the 67 toppers were given grace marks due to discrepancies in the answer keys and time-related issues. However, this justification raises more questions than it answers. NTA claimed that these grace marks were awarded based on a 2018 Supreme Court judgment, which allowed for normalization in case of time loss. However, this judgment specifically excluded engineering and medical exams from its purview. How then did NTA justify its application to NEET?
A Call for Transparency and Fairness:
The commotion surrounding the NEET results highlights the urgent need for a thorough investigation and systemic reform. The integrity of such critical exams must be preserved to maintain public trust and ensure that deserving students are not unfairly disadvantaged. Without stringent measures to prevent misconduct, the credibility of the entire system is at risk.
Restoring and ensuring the credibility of exams like NEET is not just a matter of academic fairness; it is a national imperative. The government must take a proactive stance in addressing the issue of paper leaks and exam misconduct. By implementing advanced security measures, establishing transparent processes, taking swift action against malpractices, and promoting a culture of integrity, the government can safeguard the future of millions of students and uphold the sanctity of India’s education system. The time to act is now, and the responsibility lies with all stakeholders to ensure that the hard work and dreams of students are protected and valued.
Since the NEET results 2024 have been tainted by numerous reports of paper leaks and exam fraud, undermining the hard work and dedication of millions of students who prepare earnestly for this crucial exam. For now, Conducting a new NEET exam is the only viable solution to restore fairness and integrity to the selection process. This moment must serve as a clarion call for comprehensive reforms, ensuring that such scams become a thing of the past.
Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
- The author is a Kashmir based columnist. He tweets at ummar-jamal and can be reached at [email protected]
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