- The Pacemakers

15 Jun 2024
TP News desk
NEET UG/PG/SS Aspirants
Last Edited 16 Jun 24

Unending NEET Controversy Raises Serious Questions

The NEET controversy shows no signs of abating. Every day brings new revelations. What started with the disclosure of grace marks has now escalated into a full-blown scandal. Information has surfaced about transactions amounting to crores of rupees, leading to the arrest of dozens of individuals. By retracting the grace marks, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has indirectly acknowledged irregularities in the examination process. Experts believe that what has been revealed so far is merely the tip of the iceberg. The NTA’s reluctance to cooperate with other investigating agencies is deeply concerning.

Further compounding doubts about the NTA’s intentions is their decision to begin the counseling process on July 6, before the court hearing, which is earlier than last year’s start date of July 20. A detailed analysis of NEET data from the past three years reveals startling information that undermines many of the NTA’s claims.

The NTA has attributed this year’s rank inflation to three main factors:

1. An increase in the number of candidates

2. A 20% reduction in the syllabus

3. Improved competence among students

4. Paper was easier in 2024 in comparison to previous years

However, our analysis shows that the number of NEET candidates has not increased significantly. In fact, the increase from 2023 to 2024 is less than the increase from 2022 to 2023, despite the registration window being reopened for 24 hours a month later. The NTA justified reopening the window by citing a few requests from students who missed the initial registration. Surprisingly, 24,000 students registered during this second window. It is implausible that so many aspiring doctors would miss the initial registration window after preparing for years. Students are now demanding that the NTA disclose detailed information about these 24,000 students, including their NEET scores and All India Ranks.

Acess the original notice from NTA by clicking on this link-

Public Notice By NTA for Reopening of registration Window

Regarding rank inflation, the data indicates an unprecedented increase. The number of students scoring above 700 has inflated seven to ten times compared to previous years. For scores between 650 and 700, the inflation is four to five times higher than in other years. We analyzed the density of students across three score ranges (420-520, 520-620, and 620-720) over the past three years. Shockingly, the density of students in the 620-720 range increased by 210% from 2023 to 2024, an anomaly not observed in any other score range over the last three years. This score range is critical as it determines admission to government medical colleges, which is why students are particularly alarmed.

Some serious questions to NTA-

1. What facts have emerged from the Bihar Police investigation so far?
2. What were the reasons for the NTA not cooperating with the Economic Offences Unit of Bihar Police, and what action has been taken against the concerned officials?
3. Transactions worth crores of rupees took place in Godhra. NTA should explain how these students reached Godhra in Gujarat, thousands of kilometers away from their own state, and how they were allocated this center?
4. Why was the registration window was reopened on April 9, and which official decided to reopen the window? What was the number of students registered during this window, and what were their scores?
5. Were the registration rules changed for this window?
6. Which official made the decision to award grace marks for time loss? The minutes of the meeting in which this decision was taken should be made public.
7. What action did NTA take against the responsible officials for the mismanagement in Sawai Madhopur, Balod, and many other places?
8. What was the maximum number of grace marks awarded? Did all students from the affected centers receive grace marks?
9. How many complaints were received regarding time loss, and how many students were awarded grace marks?
10. What legal or other issues does NTA have in publishing the results of the top one lakh students or all students on the website, just as the names and results of the top hundred students and the top ten students in each category were shared?
11. What is the evidence that only 1563 students were given grace marks? Was this figure verified by an independent agency?
12. Last year, counseling was conducted on July 20, and the session started on time. Why was there a need to start counseling on July 6 this year when NTA has to conduct the exam again for 1563 students, announce their results, and declare the merit list again?
13. In all exams these days, it is mandatory to circle the questions that were not attempted in the OMR sheet. Why was this not implemented in NEET?
14. Upon receiving information about the paper leak on WhatsApp and Telegram, did NTA file a complaint with cybercrime? If not, what action was taken against the responsible officials for not taking any action on such a serious matter?
15. After an FIR was registered in Shastri Nagar police station in Patna on May 5 regarding the paper leak from NTA's custody, what necessary steps did NTA take to investigate this serious issue?

All these revelations make it clear that only a CBI investigation can quell the students' anger. The upcoming court hearing on July 8 regarding the paper leak will hopefully bring more clarity. The government still has time to rectify these mistakes. The repercussions of student dissatisfaction with the NEET exam could be far-reaching.

Unending NEET Controversy Raises Serious Questions

Recent comments

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest