NEET: Why an exam has sparked national outrage in India – BBC News

A crucial medical exam in India has sparked outrage, protests and allegations of cheating after thousands of candidates scored unusually high marks in this year's exam.

The National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG – conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) – is the gateway to studying medicine in the country, as its score is required for admission to medical colleges. It is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), a government agency that holds some of the largest tests in India.

Millions of students take the test each year, but only a small percentage score well enough to secure a place in college. But this year the challenge is a bit different: many candidates scored top marks, pushing the ranking system down and making it difficult for even high-scorers to get in.

Since the declaration of results on June 4, the exam has come under scrutiny for everything from errors in question papers to allegations of question paper leakage and cheating to wrongful awarding of grace marks (compensatory marks). Students and parents have demanded re-examination and dozens of petitions have been filed in the court.

NTA officials have denied allegations of paper leaks, but on Sunday, federal education minister Dharmendra Pradhan admitted that “some irregularities” had come to light at some exam centres. He said that no one including NTA officials will be spared if irregularities are found.

On Tuesday, India's top court issued a notice to the NTA saying that “even if there is 0.001% negligence on the part of anyone, it should be dealt with thoroughly”.

But this is small consolation for students who spend months or even years for this highly competitive exam.

Millions of students in India dream of getting into a good medical or engineering college every year—professions that command a lot of respect and also hope for a steady, long-term income in a country with a job crunch.

This year, a staggering 2.4 million students competed for just 110,000 available seats in the NEET exam, highlighting the intense pressure and intense competition faced by aspiring candidates.

Of the total seats, 55,000–60,000 seats belong to government-run colleges, while private colleges offer the rest. Half the seats are reserved for disadvantaged students.

Students flock to government colleges for their affordability. A five-year MBBS course at a government college costs between 500,000 and 1 million rupees ($5,992 – $11,984), while private colleges can charge ten times more.

When the results were announced on June 4, it was found that a An unprecedented 67 students Achieved perfect score of 720 marks.

Since 2016 – when NEET became the official entrance test for medical colleges in India – only one to three students have scored full marks every year, and sometimes not even that.

This year, there has also been a significant increase in the number of candidates scoring in the higher range of 650-680 marks, which has intensified the competition for seats in India's top medical colleges.

The unusual results have sparked concern among parents and students, who have alleged irregularities in the conduct and grading of the exams and called for an investigation.

But NTA denied these allegations. saying That “the integrity of the test was not compromised” and that there were higher scorers this year because more students took the test.

It also said that 1,563 candidates were given “grace marks” for lateness at the examination center and for two correct answers to a physics question. Notably, 50 of the 67 top scorers achieved perfect marks because of these compensatory points.

But on June 13, India's top court quashed the compensatory marks after several students filed petitions challenging the NTA's decision, calling it “arbitrary” and “unfair”.

The Supreme Court also said that students who got grace marks will be given the option to retake the exam – which is scheduled to be held on June 23.

But protesters say the court's ruling does not address the broader issues they have raised, such as allegations of paper leaks, fraud and systemic corruption.

Surbhi Sharma, 23, who attempted the exam for the fifth time this year and scored 650, alleged that paper leaks – widespread in India – were behind the fluctuating scores.

He noted that despite the significant increase in high scorers (in the range of 650-680 marks), there was no corresponding increase in mid-range scorers (610-640 marks).

“NTA officials said that more candidates scored higher because the paper was easier this year. But if that is the case, everyone should have done better and not just a section of candidates,” he claimed.

Dr. Vivek Pandey, an activist assisting candidates in their respective court applications, supports his stand.

On June 1, he helped file a petition in the Supreme Court in which 10 students requested that they be allowed to retake NEET, alleging that the question paper was leaked at the examination center in Patna, the capital of Bihar state.

Soon after the exam was held, the Bihar Police started investigating the allegations. On May 10, they announced the arrest of 13 people, including four students, in a paper leak case.

On June 15, the police sent notices to nine other students suspected to be involved in the case and asked them to join the investigation.

Manabjit Singh Dhillon, a senior police officer. to say The Times of India newspaper said the 13 accused allegedly leaked question papers to 30 candidates in a “safe house” in exchange for lakhs of rupees a day before the exam.

he to say During the investigation, officials recovered post-dated checks and partially burnt documents and they sought the question papers from the NTA for reference, PTI news agency reported separately.

Apart from the allegations of question paper leakage, there are additional allegations of cheating and fraud in the examination.

Police arrested three people in Delhi and six in Rajasthan for allegedly impersonating NEET candidates. In the state of Gujarat, police have arrested five people for their alleged involvement in a cheating conspiracy at an exam center in Godhra.

The controversy drew criticism from opposition leaders who accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government of “betraying the dreams” of millions of students.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue and accused his government of “covering up the NEET scam”. The party also demanded a Supreme Court-led inquiry into the alleged irregularities.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to hear a clutch of petitions – including requests to cancel the exam – related to the NEET exam results on July 8.