Lately the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been mired in a major controversy following the recent paper leaks that have taken the country by storm. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 24 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting abolition of NEET and restoration of the previous system of states conducting their own examinations. According to Banerjee, the instances of paper leak not only jeopardise the future and confidence of aspirants, but also hits the quality of medical education in India, which in turn, harms the quality of medical treatment in the country.
Banerjee also demanded restoration of the old system of entrance examinations being conducted by state governments will help restore normalcy and the confidence of aspiring medical students in the system. She pointed out that the previous system, which was in place before 2017, was functioning smoothly as it was better attuned to the regional curricula and educational standards. According to her, the centralised system of examination (NEET) without any involvement of state governments violates the true spirit of the federal structure of the country.
The Tamil Nadu government had passed Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021 to exempt the state from NEET, but the Governor refused to give his assent to it. Tamil Nadu has opposed the NEET since it was made compulsory in 2017. The state sees the exam as a threat to the state’s autonomy, educational quality, healthcare system and social justice. NEET exam is based on the CBSE syllabus, which may not be suitable for all the students. The students who have studied under different state boards may find it difficult to cope with the syllabus and the tough level of the exam.
NEET exam is not cost friendly. Apart from that, the students have to bear other expenses such as coaching fees, study materials, travel expenses, etc. These costs may be unaffordable for some students from poor or rural backgrounds. They may have to compromise on their quality of education or drop out of their dream. As NEET is conducted only in 13 languages, some students may face difficulty in understanding the questions or expressing their answers in a language that is not their mother tongue or medium of instruction. This can affect their comprehension and accuracy.
Students coming from poor economic backgrounds or from rural areas may find it difficult to crack NEET due to lack of access to quality education, coaching, resources, or guidance. A solution should be found to address these challenges. Either NEET is abolished and reverted back to the old system of entrance exam by states or a more inclusive admission process that considers both NEET scores and Class XII marks is put in place. This would ensure that students from different backgrounds have equal opportunities to pursue their dream of becoming doctors.
