NEET 2024: An Educational Catastrophe of Unseen Proportions

NEET 2024

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) process, from its convoluted administration to its opaque results announcement, epitomises one of the most egregious educational scams in recent history. Unlike typical scams quantified by financial losses, NEET's impact transcends monetary dimensions. It is a scam of colossal magnitude, affecting lakhs of students and involving tens of thousands of crores of rupees.

Hardworking students, who deserve fair opportunities, are being sidelined while less deserving candidates are reaping benefits. This skewed system has driven many students into depression, with some tragically resorting to suicide. Despite this crisis, the response from the education ministry has been to downplay the severity, offering reassurances that everything is essentially in order when in reality the situation has only gone from bad to worse in recent years. 

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), commonly known as NEET (UG), is the premier pre-medical entrance examination in India. Formerly known as the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), NEET (UG) serves as the gateway for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS), and AYUSH (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS and other) courses in both government and private institutions across the country. It also facilitates those intending to obtain primary medical qualifications abroad.

The exam is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), an autonomous organisation responsible for conducting the test and providing the results to the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These results are then used by State Counselling Authorities for the allocation of seats. The role of the NTA is crucial, as it ensures the standardisation and fairness of the examination process, which directly impacts the future of millions of aspiring medical professionals in India.

NEET 2024: The Scam

In 2023, a staggering 20,87,462 students registered for the NEET (UG) exam, with 20,38,596 students actually appearing. Out of these, 11,45,976 students managed to qualify. However, the results from NEET 2024 have raised alarming concerns about the integrity of the examination process.

A review of the top 100 candidates in NEET (UG) 2024 reveals shocking and unprecedented results, suggesting that the exam may be fundamentally flawed. Remarkably, 67 students secured the first All India Rank (AIR 1), each achieving a perfect score of 720 out of 720. This anomaly has raised suspicions among parents and students interviewed by The Probe, who argue that achieving such a score is extremely difficult.

A comparison with NEET 2022 underscores the improbability of these results: only two students attained a perfect score of 720 in that year. This stark contrast shows irregularities and raises serious questions about the credibility of the NEET examination system.

Among the students achieving perfect scores in NEET 2024, six share sequential seat numbers and hail from Haryana, suggesting they might have tested at the same centre. This raises severe concerns about the integrity of the examination process.

Further scrutiny reveals even more alarming discrepancies. After the perfect score of 720, the next highest scores are 719 and 718. Given NEET’s marking system, these scores are mathematically improbable. Each NEET question is worth four marks, with a deduction of one mark for incorrect answers. Therefore, if a student misses one question, they would lose a total of five marks—four for the unanswered question and one as a penalty—resulting in a score of 715, not 718 or 719. This reveals the potential manipulation in the scoring process, casting a shadow over the credibility of the NEET (UG) 2024 results. 

NEET’s Dubious Responses to Scoring Anomalies

In response to the glaring irregularities in NEET (UG) 2024 scores, NEET officials have provided explanations that many find unconvincing. Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director of the National Testing Agency (NTA), an autonomous body under the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, offered a defence that has been met with scepticism.

Dr. Parashar explained that the Grievance Redressal Committee reviewed complaints using factual reports and CCTV footage from examination centres. She stated, “The loss of examination time was ascertained and such candidates were compensated with marks based on their answering efficiency and time lost, as per the mechanism/formula established by the Hon’ble Apex Court, vide its judgement dated 13.06.2018 in W.P. 551 of 2018. 1563 candidates were compensated for the loss of time, and the revised marks of such candidates vary from -20 to 720 marks. Among these, the scores of two candidates happen to be 718 and 719 marks respectively due to compensatory marks.”

In simpler words, Dr. Parashar is saying that some students were awarded grace marks because they received their question papers late. According to her, this was to compensate for the "loss of exam time."

However, this raises further questions. If students received their papers late, the logical solution would have been to grant them extra time to complete the exam, rather than adjusting scores with grace marks. What explains a whopping 1,563 students being awarded these grace marks due to the time lost?

The Hijacking of Medical Education: Counselling Agents and Institutionalised Corruption

The Probe spoke to numerous NEET PG and UG aspirants who exposed the dark reality of counselling agents, revealing how deeply corruption runs in the medical entrance examination system. One student shared, "These agents contact you and offer various services in exchange for money. They can arrange proxy candidates to sit for exams on your behalf, provide copies of question papers, or even secure a medical seat through bribery. Depending on the agent's network, you can choose from different 'menus,' much like ordering from a hotel. This is all available to wealthy students, but it's happening at the expense of those who cannot afford these illicit services."

Dr. Indranil Deshmukh, the National Convenor of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network, recounted his own experience with a counselling agent when he was a NEET PG aspirant. "This is a huge scam," he said. "These agents called me, asking for 1 crore rupees in exchange for my choice of medical seat." Deshmukh explained that this corruption is rampant in both NEET PG and UG. Upper middle-class and elite students often receive two to three calls daily from these agents, who instruct them to fill out forms with specific center names and promise guaranteed government seats in exchange for hefty payments.

Deshmukh elaborated on the scale of the operation: "The current rates are 1.2 to 1.5 crores for a PG admission and 1 crore for an UG government seat. These agents either have access to the questions or they manipulate the OMR answer sheets." He cited a recent example where his friend, a NEET PG aspirant was asked to choose a center in Haryana and pay 1 crore 30 lakhs for an assured seat.

The overarching question remains: can this massive corruption occur without the knowledge of the NTA? It seems unlikely, as the rampant nature of this scam suggests complicity or at least willful ignorance within the organisation. This corruption is an open secret, a lucrative business where everyone involved profits, leaving poor students to bear the brunt of an unjust system.

Money Power and NEET Exam Paper Leaks

In response to allegations of a paper leak in the current NEET (UG) exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a statement denying any such incident. The NTA's statement read: "NTA has categorically denied any case of paper leak. NTA also issued a detailed Press Release on 6 May 2024 stating that there has not been any paper leak as was being circulated on social media. The same stand has been reiterated and NTA maintains that the integrity of the examination was not compromised."

However, these denials seem to contradict the findings of law enforcement. Last month, the Bihar police arrested 13 individuals, including four examinees and their relatives, in connection with the alleged leak of the NEET-UG question paper held on May 5. The investigation was transferred to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police, which revealed that medical aspirants paid significant sums, ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh each, to brokers who provided access to the question papers ahead of the examination.

The EOU had during the course of their investigation seized several documents, including bank cheques and candidate roll codes, from the residences of two people. These individuals, who were operating an education consultancy firm, were arrested on May 5 and accused of running a racket that promised to assist examinees in competitive exams.

The evidence uncovered by the Bihar police starkly contradicts the NTA's assertions, suggesting that the integrity of the NEET-UG examination was indeed compromised. Despite these revelations, the NTA continues to maintain that all is well with NEET. This dissonance has only heightened concerns about the transparency and reliability of the examination process.

Under mounting pressure, the Director General of the NTA announced that a four-member high-power committee is investigating the issue of grace marks awarded to over 1,500 students. As for the possibility of a reexamination, the NTA stated that it would await the committee's recommendations.

Controversy, Whitewash and the Fall Out

The NTA's mishandling of the NEET-UG examination became apparent well before the official results announcement. Originally scheduled for June 14th, the NTA instead announced the results on June 4th, coinciding with the 2024 election results day.

This premature announcement was not a coincidence. The NTA, aware of the impending backlash from students, parents, educationists, and the media due to their critical blunders, strategically chose a day when the nation's attention was focused on the election results. By doing so, they hoped to quietly release the NEET results, avoiding the intense scrutiny and criticism that would have otherwise followed. This tactic shows the severity of the issues surrounding the NEET examination process and exposes the lengths to which the NTA went to cover up the malpractice.

The Case of Bagisha Tiwari

The devastating impact of the NEET examination mismanagement can be seen through the life and death of Bagisha Tiwari, a NEET aspirant. Bagisha took her own life just a day after the results were announced on June 4. Bagisha, originally from the Reva district in Madhya Pradesh, had dedicated three years to preparing for NEET. She had moved to Kota in Rajasthan, a hub for competitive exam coaching, along with her mother and brother.

On the day following the results announcement, Bagisha jumped from the ninth floor of a building. She was immediately rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Her close circles reported that she was deeply depressed over her poor results after NTA announced the results. 

Inspector Harinarayan Sharma from the Jawahar Nagar Police Station confirmed that Bagisha had appeared for the recently held NEET-UG exams. A woman who witnessed the incident attempted to intervene but was unable to stop her. 

The case of Bagisha shows the immense pressure and emotional toll that the NEET examination places on students. It highlights the urgent need for a fair, transparent, and supportive examination process to prevent such tragedies and protect the mental health and well-being of young aspirants.

Bagisha Tiwari's tragic death marks the tenth student suicide in Kota this year. Students don’t end their lives impulsively; there are often multiple, profound reasons behind such decisions.

In Bagisha’s case, the reasons could have been many. She may not have received the marks she expected, leading to feelings of betrayal and despair. Perhaps she felt she had performed well and was anticipating better results. The knowledge that 67 students achieved unimaginable perfect scores and over 1,500 students were awarded grace marks would naturally intensify the pain and feelings of injustice and disillusionment among hardworking students who had studied diligently.

The question arises, as we witness numerous such cases of student depression and suicides every year: who will be held accountable for these lost lives? The NTA’s track record of mismanagement in conducting these exams has deteriorated over time, contributing to many tragic outcomes on a yearly basis. 

The Tragic Mismatch of Vidhi Suryavanshi's NEET Results

This is not the first time the National Testing Agency (NTA) has been in the thick of a storm. In the NEET UG 2020 exams, a devastating error led to the tragic death of Vidhi Suryavanshi, an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh. Vidhi, a bright student with aspirations of becoming a doctor, was heartbroken when she saw her NEET results showing a mere six marks next to her name. The shock of such a poor score left her so devastated that she took the drastic step of hanging herself from the ceiling fan in her room.

Vidhi's family, unable to believe that such a dedicated and intelligent student could perform so poorly, requested a review of her OMR sheet. This revealed the true extent of the error: Vidhi had actually scored 590 marks. The initial incorrect result, likely due to a mismatch or error in the NEET exam results processing, had shattered her dreams and led to her untimely death.

Similarly, another student whose NTA results initially showed he had failed the exam in the same year got his paper rechecked, and it was found that he was, in fact, the All India Topper in the ST category. 

NEET 2024: Why NTA is Unable to Conduct Exams Effectively

The National Testing Agency responsible for conducting NEET has faced mounting criticism for its inability to manage these exams effectively. The NTA has been repeatedly criticised for its lack of transparency in the examination process and a complete lack of oversight mechanisms. 

The NTA is an autonomous agency under the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education of India, but often they have been criticised for being too political. 

Counselling agents have hijacked medical education in India, exploiting the system to benefit wealthy students while hoodwinking those from poorer backgrounds. The NTA is well aware of how these agents undermine the sanctity of the NEET exams, but remains passive. This corruption cannot thrive without the involvement of NTA officials and complicit colleges, all taking a share of the pie. Ultimately, everyone benefits—except the hardworking, dedicated students from less affluent backgrounds who find themselves cheated as wealthy students leapfrog into coveted medical seats through unethical means.

This issue transcends the realm of education; it is a huge public health concern. The students who bypass merit to secure medical seats are our future doctors, entrusted with treating the nation's citizens. Their lack of genuine medical knowledge poses a grave risk. If these students can buy their way into medical school, they can likely do the same to advance in their careers, securing positions in hospitals and prestigious institutions without the requisite expertise. This erosion of standards threatens the very foundation of public health in India.

It is imperative that the judiciary intervenes to dismantle this corrupt system. The entire top brass of the NTA must be held accountable, and a comprehensive overhaul implemented to restore integrity. Such action would not only address the current malpractices but also serve as a deterrent against future infractions. As protests against the NEET 2024 results continue, restoring fairness and meritocracy to the NEET exams is crucial to ensuring that our future doctors are competent, knowledgeable, and dedicated to public service.

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