“So the fact that there was a paper leak is admitted?” asked the Chief Justice of India, to which Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta replied in affirmation.¹ With this admission, it is now official that there has been paper leak of NEET (UG) 2024 at least in the centres of Patna and Hazaribagh. Now what remained to examine before Supreme Court is to decide whether this leak was wide spread or limited to certain regions. However, the rampant inflation of marks such as 0 in 2022 to 67 this year with perfect scores and the increase of students who scored between 550 and 720 is 77,620² make addition to the serious concerns. Furthermore, grace marks to 1,563 candidates, breach in procedure while transporting question papers, numerous toppers from the same centres strongly suggest that the sanctity of exam is compromised at multiple levels. Another act of NTA that creates doubts in the minds of aspirants is declaration of the result earlier than the scheduled date.
Role of NTA in Conducting Tests and the Recent Irregularities
There are thousands of societies registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. One of these societies is National Testing Agency, set up in 2017 which then replaced, government bodies, such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and central universities, such as the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for the purpose of conducting tests at national level. NTA conducts undergraduate admissions entrance exams- JEE-Main for engineering, NEET-UG for medicine and CUET-UG for admissions to several other undergraduate courses, CUET-PG for postgraduate admissions, UGC-NET and CSIR UGC-NET. More than 60 lakh candidates appear for these exams every year. In other words entry to higher education in India can only be made through these tests and any failure or irregularities in conducting these tests is actually failure of whole higher education system. The fact is NTA time and again failed to conduct these different exams fairly. This time it is in the centre of criticism for the irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC NET, putting career of more than 35 lakhs students at risk. These failures in the most important tests have raised questions on the reliability of this Agency. It has not only discouraged students at a large but also gathers attention to the whole education system of India and its purpose.
Education System Fails to Educate:
Education is considered the foundation of any civilization. It enhances human behavior, making individuals more beneficial to society. As the German philosopher Immanuel Kant stated, “The human being can only become human through education. He is nothing except what education makes out of him.” The entire progress of humanity, from the Stone Age to the present, is a testament to the power of education. Through education, we have explored the hidden realms of the universe. History informs us of the rise of civilizations due to education, and it also informs us of their fall when communities became stagnant in this field.
In the modern nation-state, the government dictates educational policies, which itself become reason that restricts the scope of education. Moreover, the purpose of the controlled education system has largely shifted from its true essence to a tool for earning a livelihood. This shift wouldn’t be concerning if there were a balance between earning and the true purpose of education. However, it has now heavily tilted towards profession, job, and earning.
The Impact of Toxic Competition
Agencies like the NTA, in the name of equality, force students without adequate facilities to compete with those who can spend lakhs on schools, private coaching centers, and other necessary resources. To bridge this gap, many families risk everything to provide their children with the proper platform to compete. Motivational speakers, success story tellers, and societal pressure encourage students to enter these tests but our shallow system fails to educate them that these tests are significant but not the end. Failing these tests impacts students to such an extent that many give up on life. According to NCRB data, in 2022 alone, 13,044 students took their lives.³
Conclusion:
We have already entered a vicious system where qualifying tests are the only gateway to premier institutes without sufficient focus on providing equal platforms for aspirants from different regions, classes and backgrounds. There is also a significant need for moral-based education, which is essence but missing from the entire system. The pattern and structure of question papers is another problem that mainly emphasize memorization ability over reasoning and rationale. These flaws need to be addressed through proper policy changes but at this moment the very least, authorities should do is to ensure that exams are conducted fairly so that the hard work, time, and careers of lakhs of students are not jeopardized.
Furthermore, whether the Supreme Court cancels NEET or not, those in leadership roles within the NTA should be held accountable. There is a critical need to reconsider the structure, planning, and execution of NTA. Given the current situation and poor record, the NTA, without undergoing rigorous reforms, is incapable of conducting any national-level exam. If those in power do not pay attention and continue to overlook and defend such blunders, it will ultimately become a threat to the entire education system of India.
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