Students across the land work tirelessly by day and night for the honored profession of being a doctor. Often hailed as demigods on Earth, doctors achieve their status through rigorous exams like NEET. Unfortunately, recent questions raised about the purity of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which organizes the NEET exam, are shattering many innocent aspirations.
Instead of lining up for medical college counseling, students who took the NEET exam are now demanding justice in the streets. Numerous cases have reached the Supreme Court. In light of these events, discussions were held with various experts and students on the manipulation of numbers. Who is the mastermind behind this, and what are the seven pressing questions that put NTA under suspicion amidst the allegations of malpractice in NEET?
1. Why were grace marks given to so many students if NTA admitted issues at only one center?
Founder of 'Physics Wallah' Alakh Pandey suggests that on the day of the NEET paper, May 5, NTA released a press statement in the evening acknowledging problems solely at the Sawai Madhopur center. The question remains as to why grace marks were granted that led to 67 students receiving full marks. Six full marks were given at one center, and the agency is defending this decision with the grace marks argument.
2. What happens to the students who genuinely worked hard and scored well?
Former member of the Medical Council of India, Dr. Ajay Kumar, who was once part of the NBE that conducted NEET PG exams, expresses concern over the incompetence of NTA. A full-fledged scam seems apparent. According to him, if the 67 students are tested again with the same paper, the truth would unravel. He suggests an inquiry by another agency to uncover the entire game. Amidst it all, the significant query arises about the fate of honest students who have worked hard and secured good marks.
3. How did ranks quadruple despite only a 20% increase in the number of students?
Stuti Saxena from Kota indicates her distress as her safe score of 643, which should fetch a rank around 10,000, escalated to close to 35,000. The sudden spike in ranking is causing confusion and anxiety among students regarding their admissions.
4. Why didn't I receive grace marks when my center provided the paper 40 minutes late?
A student, Ayush from Jaipur, questions the fairness of not receiving grace marks despite a delayed start to the examination at his center, a fact well-documented by the invigilators' signatures.
5. If the paper difficulty was the same as last year, why are there suddenly 67 toppers?
Nitin Vijay, founder of 'Motion Institute,' filed a PIL and awaits a Supreme Court hearing. He voices the inexplicable increase of top scorers despite the similar difficulty level as the preceding year, questioning NTA's reasoning.
6. Who all participated in the update window opened by NTA on the 9th-10th of April?
Vipin Singh, founder of 'GOAL Institute,' suggests beginning an investigation from the 9th-10th April application update window. He points out the need for accountability and transparency from NTA regarding the paper leak case.
7. Why was the CLAT exam referenced in the Supreme Court for NEET's case?
Students seeking answers from NTA are left unsatisfied with the technical responses provided, such as comparing NEET's plight with that of the CLAT exam.
Most students writing the exam this year are troubled by the sharp rise in ranks. Candidate Anjali Dhyanani fears that the fourfold increase in ranks this year jeopardizes her chances of securing college admission. With all the unfolding events, her dream of direct college enrollment seems to be slipping away. Similarly, institute directors are at a loss in guiding the next batch on how to beat this year's trend and secure a good college with scores of 690. However, such preparation for these rigorous exams is even more challenging for children from poor families.
Deepak, a student from Faridabad, recalls the discomfort he faced on examination day due to dehydration as he couldn’t bring a water bottle per the guidelines. Despite his high score, he feels dismayed as his ranking plummeted, echoing the struggle and frustration of many students like him.
