On May 5, 2024, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam for Undergraduates (NEET-UG) was held.
Little did we know that it would infamously become the talk of the town for the entire year. And perhaps for years to come.
Let's rewind to the uproar that surrounded the 2024 medical entrance exam.
Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the results were announced on June 4, 10 days earlier than the expected date.
However, even before the results were announced, several candidates raised objections to multiple aspects of the exam, such as:
- Paper leaks
- Technical glitches
- Mismanagement
- Malpractices and more
Once the results were announced, several anomalies were reported, which include,
- As many as 67 toppers toppers from one exam centre
- Grace marks issue
- Normalisation and more
As many as 1,563 candidates from six NEET exam centres were awarded grace marks by using the normalisation formula as they were not able to utilise the entire duration, 3.2 hours, of the exam due to technical glitches.
All these issues were challenged in the Supreme Court, followed by which, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras was looped in to file a report after analysing the exam results.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) entered the picture to probe the alleged paper leaks at Patna, Godhra, and Hazaribagh.
Months later, after multiple hearings and arrests, the CBI filed the fifth chargesheet against five accused in the theft of question papers on November 22. With this, a total of 45 accused are in judicial custody, and chargesheets have been filed.
Dreams shattered
"Although there were several significant anomalies in 2024, it is regrettable that the administration has not issued any statements. Inconsistencies have been noted in the past five months too," said Kapil Gupta, CEO of NEETprep.
The expert emphasised that these tests serve as the candidates' ticket to upward social mobility. "These exams are a passport to social mobility for many aspirants with dreams of studying in top colleges. The irregularities, paper leaks, and scams shatter the dreams of aspirants from marginalised backgrounds," he proclaimed.
Career consultant and analyst Jayaprakash Gandhi made a noteworthy statement by highlighting the ambiguity around how candidates were evaluated.
"NTA's credibility has declined. Numerous scams were detected, and the court displayed impotence in addressing the anomalies or scams. The court has made every effort, but a report on how the scams occurred and why pupils received particular grades has not been released yet," he said.
"It was found that an applicant with a NEET score of 700 or higher, for example, was unable to pass the Board exams. Furthermore, people who received zilch in the Board exams when it comes to subjects like Chemistry and Physics have also passed the exam. NEET does not have a minimum score, which is bad for the welfare of the medical industry," Gandhi rationalised.
Gupta further indicated that not all the working staff may be incorruptible. "The exam was conducted in nearly 5,000 locations, the majority of which were private. Given that over 1.30 lakh people participated in conducting the exam, how likely is it that everything was devoid of corruption?" Gupta raised doubts on.
Seven member committee
On August 2, an expert seven-member committee headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, was formed to assess the NTA's operations and suggest reforms to enhance the transparency and integrity of the NEET-UG.
With the recommendations made by the panel, the agency may significantly adjust the exam pattern, mode, and other aspects to improve its credibility in the future. A few proposals from the panel are:
1) Online exam and hybrid model
Conducting entrance exams online wherever possible. If an online format is not feasible, a hybrid model should be adopted, during which the exam papers would be sent to the examination centres digitally, while students would record their answers on OMR sheets.
2) Multiple stages
Similar to the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) - JEE Advanced, the panel recommends conducting NEET-UG in multiple stages.
3) Limiting the number of attempts
Currently, candidates can take the medical entrance exam as many times as they like because the number of NEET exam attempts is not limited. Nonetheless, the committee has suggested imposing a cap on the maximum number of NEET 2025 exam attempts.
4) Recruiting permanent staff
The panel advises the NTA to hire full-time staff instead of depending on temporary workers. It also recommends against administering the NEET-UG exam at private locations.
While this panel was formed when irregularities marred the exam, Gandhi says a committee should review the exam dedicatedly every three years and introduce reforms accordingly.
On the other hand, Gupta hints that the history of the National Medical Commission (NMC) in adapting to new policies is poor. "The panel's initial recommendations included that the exam be conducted in a hybrid mode; however, explicit information on how to go about doing so is still lacking. The main challenge is the Education Ministry conducts the exam while the Health Ministry makes decisions on reforms."
"As per speculations, discussions are ongoing between the two ministries, but NMC has a bad track record of adjusting to new developments," Gupta remarked.
Road to 2025
Suggesting measures for the next edition in 2025, Gandhi suggests conducting NEET-UG earlier and immediately after the Board exams.
"Similar to JEE, NEET should be conducted soon after Board exams. By giving leeway of 45 days after Boards, the candidates are compelled to spend on coaching unnecessarily," he opined. "Can you teach the two-year syllabus for Classes XI and XII in forty-five days?" he questioned.
Gupta insists that the apprehensions surrounding the exam should be clarified urgently. "The ramifications of the fiasco could be that most students start having second thoughts about attempting the exam in the first place. Therefore, even the perception that NEET-UG was marred with irregularities ought to be dispelled," he said.
Gandhi stressed the need to implement minimum marks in Physics and Chemistry subjects. "NEET was introduced to bring in quality and get quality input. However, when a student scores low marks in Physics and Chemistry and gets to study medicine after clearing NEET, the quality would certainly be questionable," he said.
Additionally, Gandhi thinks Class XII marks must be considered when evaluating a candidate's scores. "The quality of education in schools is declining, particularly in northern India. In Kota and elsewhere, many candidates are enrolling in coaching institutes, and they sign up for Board exams just for the sake of it," he told EdexLive, referring to the concept of dummy schools which facilitate this kind of education.
"This has started to resemble an assembly line process. Schools and boards should be given 40–50 per cent importance since they facilitate conceptual learning. Unlike schools, coaching institutes are not subject to regulations, Gandhi further asserted.
Placing the spotlight on the sanctity of the exam, Gupta said, "The Supreme Court has also emphasised changes that need to be made to the exam as trust is low and hopes are high. Hence, restating the sanctity of the exam is fundamental."
Other suggestions given by Gandhi are to conduct exams online, reduce scams, take action against people involved in irregularities, and be more transparent with the exam. Regarding the challenges and the impact of these anomalies, Gandhi said, "Along with repeaters, fewer students are signing up for NEET and JEE tutoring. Are people losing trust? This is an open-ended question."
"We won't know the effects of these adjustments just yet. We will find out only when these batches graduate, and by then, it might just be too late" he concluded.
