New Delhi, June 12: In light of the NEET UG paper leak controversy, the National Testing Agency (NTA) met with a parliamentary committee to discuss measures for securing the examination system. NTA Director General Abhishek Singh and National Medical Council President Abhijat Sheth were present at the meeting.
Committee members recommended that India should learn from countries like the United States and China, where examinations are conducted without complaints. They emphasized adopting effective practices from abroad to ensure a robust and secure examination system in India.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from China, Yu Jing, shared a video on X, highlighting the Gaokao as the world’s largest examination, stating that it is a combination of India’s JEE and NEET. In just two days, 13 million students participated, with factories halting operations and streets emptying in solidarity with the students.
Typically, over 2 million candidates appear for NEET, while around 1.5 million sit for JEE. The NEET undergraduate medical admission exam scheduled for May 3 was cancelled due to allegations of paper leaks and will now be held again on June 21.
This marks the third parliamentary committee appearance for officials from NTA and NMC following the NEET-UG paper controversy. Previous meetings addressed educational assurances and the need for a secure examination process. The committee also discussed boosting the morale of NTA in light of recent issues and emphasized the importance of coordination between NTA and NMC to prevent vacant seats.
Concerns were raised regarding the rising incidents of student suicides, with members urging the government to assist families affected by such tragedies.
Additionally, the committee proposed conducting the NEET-UG exam two to three times a year, allowing students multiple opportunities to succeed without undue stress from external factors. This demand has been recurrent, with a previous announcement in July 2018 by the then HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar stating that NTA would conduct JEE Main and NEET-UG twice a year, though it was never implemented.
In 2023, the National Medical Commission stated that conducting NEET-UG twice a year was impractical, as all MBBS seats are filled through a single counseling process.
As of now, 13 arrests have been made in connection with the NEET paper leak, which affected approximately 2.3 million candidates across 551 cities and 14 centers abroad. The investigation has been handed over to central agencies, and the NTA reported irregularities were detected shortly after the exam on May 7.
The NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is a crucial examination for admissions into medical and dental courses in India, having been introduced in 2013. It facilitates entry into all government and private medical colleges, including prestigious institutions like AIIMS and JIPMER, with over 100,000 MBBS and 27,000 BDS seats available nationwide.