NEET leaks call for lock stock and barrel sinking of culture of normalising frauds

NEET protests cry for ending ‘lipstick’ education reforms

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, June 25: The alleged Vyapam scam was confined to the geographical limits of Madhya Pradesh. Several journalists died in mysterious conditions while investigating the alleged Vyapam scam.

The syndicate leaking examination papers has evidently only prospered. The candidates who can spend money will memorise answers.

If there had been a national outcry for the alleged Vyapam scam, possibly some efforts may have been made to stem the rot in the examination system.

Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan has taken moral responsibility for the NEET UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Under Graduate). But the test of taking moral responsibility lies in immediately sending resignation, and insisting for its acceptance.

Also Read: Pradhan to make statement in parliament over NEET paper leak 

In place, the minister is learnt to have been holding daily interactions with select media persons to defend his position. This robs the morality of the “moral responsibility”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set out to qualitatively reform the education system. The National Education Policy 2020 was hailed as the ‘gold standard’.

Barring a few events, the NEP2020 seems to be comatose. The students remain commodities while the coaching factories thrive.

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Students who appear for NEET examinations are India’s foremost talents. They will rightly be fuming at idiocy of Pradhan as he argues that the NEET UG test cannot be cancelled, for the issues relate to just 1563 candidates.

It may also be legitimate to ask if India aspiring to be a developed nation can afford to have a minister like Pradhan. One should take time out to examine his educational profile.

Former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu in an article in The Indian Express has given a blueprint to reform the examination system. His prescription rests on ending one annual test ritual while migrating to computer-based system.

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Prabhu had set out to reform railways, but he found himself shunted out from the Rail Bhavan. The GRE test never suffers from paper leaks.

The UPSC examination also has a shining track record. But the state public service commission examinations often invited claims of paper leaks.

Until the unveiling of the National Testing Agency, the IIT JEE examinations were never heard of paper leaks. The CAT for admissions in the Indian Institute of Managements also rarely suffered from paper leaks.

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But NEET examinations give suggestions that India is without the competence of holding entrance examinations. Former vice chairman of the NITI Aayog, Arvind Panagaria, should be most saddened as he had piloted the reform in the medical education with a common entry and exit examinations.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has caught hold of several hands in the NEET UG paper leaks. Locations of arrest suggests a national beehive of syndicates who scammed the NEET UG and PG.

Business as usual by asserting that the CBI has been given the job will only perpetuate the culture of cheats and frauds. The youth of India deserve a lock stock and barrel sinking of the culture of normalising frauds into the Bay of Bengal.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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