NEET PAPER LEAK: MILLIONS OF STUDENTS AT RISK

 

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-UG-24 exam scam came to light on June 4, 2024, after 67 students suspiciously secured full marks. NEET is a national-level entrance exam and the main reason for conducting it is to provide admission to medical UG (Undergraduate) seats in India. The NEET exam is conducted twice a year by NTA (National Testing Agency). The total number of candidates appearing in this year's exam was more than 24 lakh. NTA admitted that there was some irregularity in it. After review, the Ministry of Education handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation. At present, several debates, protests, and filing of petitions in various orders of courts regarding NEET results and paper leaks are in discussion.

The UGC NET Exam in June 2024 was conducted by NTA at 1205 examination centers in 317 cities across the country. In this exam too, there were indications of a paper leak on June 18. After confirmation, the Education Ministry had to cancel this exam. Investigation revealed that several discussions were going on before-hand about UGC NET question papers and solved papers were available on the online chat forums of educational institutions. What a mockery of such prestigious examinations?

 

 

THE BIGGEST DISCLOSURE IN THE NEET PAPER LEAK CASE:

The news of NEET paper leak has created a stir in the country. It is a complete case of rigging. More than a dozen people are involved in this. There is a strong network of paper leak mafias all over the country. There is a clear violation of instructions and rules. According to the revelations made in this case, the strings of paper leak seem to be connected to 6 states- Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Selfish motives of few greedy people have left the future of many students in lurch. The suspected people are being questioned but this is only adding to the delay and woes of the students. Many accused, including the mastermind, are still absconding. Investigation has revealed that some candidates had received the question papers before the examination.

A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT AMONG STUDENTS

There is widespread anger among the students who have to wait for the next dates. Some students have expressed deep disappointment in these circumstances. Girls say that there is a lot of pressure on them from their parents to complete their studies as soon as possible or else they will be married off. The problems of repeated paper leaks and cancellation of exams have raised questions about the irresponsible attitude of the institutions and the education ministry. The students say that there is a huge loophole in the NTA.

Due to the cancellation of the exam, a student's entire year's hard work and motivation goes to waste. During their protest, they questioned the government that how can an education mafia leak the paper? Will people with money will pass these papers with flying colours? In such a situation, what is the use of preparing hard and studying honestly for the exam? There is a serious flaw in the system somewhere. Otherwise, the incident of the paper leak would not have occurred.

 

 

PREVIOUS PAPER LEAK CASES

NDA and Mahagathbandhan are attacking each other over the paper leak issue. Let us tell you that this is not the first case of a paper leak. Even before this, in the years 2018, year 2021, and year 2022, CBI had registered an FIR and investigated the matter of irregularities in the NEET exam. Apart from this, many cases of paper leak have been exposed in many states.

According to media reports, in the last 5 years, papers from 43 recruitment exams have been leaked in the country and these paper leaks have directly affected 1.75 crore candidates. If we talk about Uttar Pradesh, in the past years, paper leaks have happened for RO, ARO, College entrance exam, PET exam, UPTET, and Tube well driver test.

The question paper of the constable recruitment exam held on 1 October 2023 in Bihar went viral before the exam. Apart from this, a case of paper leak in the Junior Engineer exam was reported in Jharkhand. Both exams were canceled due to a paper leak. On average, 3 papers have been leaked every year in Rajasthan since 2019, affecting 40 lakh students. Out of 26 cases, 14 happened in the last four years.

DECLINING CREDIBILITY OF NTA

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is an autonomous agency under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. The investigation revealed that there were critical lapses in the security protocols for exam paper handling. It is clear that this entire incident has happened due to failure of security. There are undeniable flaws in the NTA system. Why were security standards set by NTA not fully followed? Why was tampering not detected? There is a need for scrutiny in this regard. NTA should pull up its socks and ensure foolproof arrangements (with use of latest technology) during the examination.

The NEET UG-2024 paper leak has not only raised doubts over the transparency of one of the most important entrance exams in India but overall testing system. After all, how do these mafias dare to play with the future of students and where do they get support from? This is a matter worth thinking about. Stricter laws should be made for such people so that they do not dare to commit such a crime again in the future. At the same time, there must be vigilance and strong security in maintaining transparency in academic evaluation and preventing the creation of fake candidates. Besides, the failure of the lock system on the booklet box during the inspection, doubts about the role of the transporter, and confirmation of allegations of arbitrary administrative decisions have had a negative impact on the students.

GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF STUDENTS

Isn't the government committed to ensuring the integrity of the examinations and protecting the interests of the students? Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called a press conference and assured 'no compromise on transparency’. A high-level committee has been formed by the government. This committee will give suggestions regarding the structure of NTA, its functioning, examination process, transparency, etc. The government has ordered an inquiry into the irregularities in the NEET exam. Investigation and action on large scale is being carried out. The CBI is committed to investigating ‘The Exam Mess’. By now, in Bihar, 20 accused including the school principal are in the clutches of law.

YOGI GOVT. INITIATIVE TO BRING NEW LAW FOR PAPER LEAK

Recently, the Yogi government has decided to bring a strict anti-paper leak law, which will have provision for life imprisonment. Along with this, a provision of a fine of rupees one crore has also been made in this law. The proposal of Uttar Pradesh Public Examination Ordinance 2024 has been approved by the Yogi Cabinet. At the same time, if the exam is affected due to a paper leak or other reasons, the expenses incurred on it will be compensated by recovering it from the solver gang. The Madhya Pradesh government has also started the process of bringing strict laws in the case of paper leaks. Undoubtedly, this is a commendable and bold step.

Students expect foolproof system with respect to exams. Stricter laws should be made against people who commit fraud in exams. Accountability of people associated with institutions should be fixed. Government monitoring is very important. No one should be trusted. Such mistakes should not be repeated in the future in any case of the entrance examinations in the country. Honesty should be maintained in the tendering process. Apart from this, the Government of India and the state governments should also study the foreign models and make a road map to conduct a transparent examination. Also, it should be ensured that all sections of society get equal opportunity in MBBS admission in the country. Hope the matter gets the rightful resolution and most importantly, it is in the interest of the students.