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- the author, Cheryl Mullen
- the role, BBC News, Mumbai
A key 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-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG – conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) – is the gateway to studying medicine in the country, as for getting admission in medical colleges. Its score is important. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), a government organization that conducts some of the major examinations in India.
Millions of students take the test every year, but only a small percentage score well enough to get into college. But this year the challenge is a little different: too many candidates have scored high marks, which has pushed down the ranking system and made it difficult even for high scorers to get in.
Since the results were declared on June 4, the exam has come under scrutiny for reasons ranging from errors in the question paper to allegations of paper leaks and cheating over wrongly awarded grace marks. . Students and parents have demanded re-testing and dozens of petitions have been filed in the courts in this regard.
NTA officials have denied allegations of a paper leak, but on Sunday, federal education minister Dharmendra Pradhan admitted that “some irregularities” had come to light at some exam centres. He said that if irregularities are found, no one including NTA officials will be spared.
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 someone, it should be dealt with properly”.
But all this is little consolation to students who spend months or even years preparing 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 hope for stable, long-term income in a country with a jobs crisis.
This year, a staggering 2.4 million students appeared in the NEET exam for only 110,000 available seats, indicating the intense pressure and stiff competition faced by aspiring candidates.
Of the total seats, 55,000-60,000 seats belong to government colleges, while the rest are offered by private colleges. Half of the seats are reserved for backward students.
Students turn to government colleges for their affordability. A five-year MBBS course at a government college costs between 500,000 to 1 million rupees ($5,992 – $11,984), while private colleges can charge ten times as much.
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What caused the conflict?
When the results were declared on June 4, it was found that 67 students secured the best score of 720 marks.
Since 2016 – when NEET became the official entrance exam for medical colleges in India – only one to three students have scored full marks every year, and sometimes not even that many.
This year, the number of candidates scoring in the higher range of 650-680 marks also increased significantly, intensifying the competition for seats in India's top medical colleges.
The unusual results sparked concern among parents and students, who alleged irregularities in the conduct and grading of the exam and demanded an investigation.
But the NTA denied the allegations, saying the “integrity of the examination was not compromised” and that the high scorers were higher this year because more students took the exam.
It also said that 1,563 candidates were given “grace marks” for lateness at examination centers and for getting 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 highest court canceled the compensation marks after several students filed petitions challenging the NTA's decision, calling it “arbitrary” and “unfair”.
The Supreme Court also asked students who had secured grace marks to be allowed to retake the exam – scheduled to be held on June 23.
But protesters say the court's decision does not address major issues they have raised, such as allegations of paper leaks, fraud and systemic corruption.
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The eye of the storm
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 not a corresponding increase in mid-range scorers (610-640 marks).
“NTA officials have said that more candidates scored higher because the paper was easier this year. But if that was the case, everyone should have done better and not just a section of candidates,” she claims.
Dr Vivek Pandey, an activist assisting candidates in relevant court applications, supports their stand.
On June 1, he helped file a petition in the Supreme Court where 10 students requested that they be allowed to retake the NEET, alleging that the question paper was leaked at exam centers in Patna, the capital of Bihar state. was
The Bihar Police started investigating the allegations soon after the exam was held. On May 10, he announced the arrest of 13 people, including four students, in connection with the paper leak case.
On June 15, the police sent notices to nine more students suspected of involvement in the case, asking them to join the investigation.
A senior police official, Manojit Singh Dhillon, told The Times of India newspaper that 13 accused had allegedly leaked question papers to 30 candidates for lakhs of rupees a day before the exam.
He told PTI news agency separately that during investigation, the officials have recovered post-dated checks and partially burnt papers and they have sought question papers from NTA for reference.
In addition to the paper leak allegations, the exam has faced additional allegations of cheating and fraud.
Police have arrested three people in Delhi and six in Rajasthan for allegedly impersonating NEET candidates to write the exam. In the state of Gujarat, police arrested five people for their alleged involvement in a cheating conspiracy at an examination center in Godhra.
A political slugfest
The controversy has drawn criticism from opposition leaders who have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government of “cheating the dreams” of millions of students.
Congress leader Mallikarjan Kharge questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue and accused his government of “covering up the NEET scam”. The party has also demanded a Supreme Court-led inquiry into the alleged irregularities.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petitions on July 8 regarding the NEET exam results – which also calls for scrapping the test.