Selja Demands Re-Conduct of NEET amid Malpractice Allegations

Kumari Selja, the Congress MP from Sirsa, has demanded that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate medical courses should be re-conducted. She has alleged that the entire system of the NEET examination has come under scrutiny due to various malpractices that have been exposed so far. 

Addressing the media, Selja said, "The kinds of malpractices that have been exposed so far clearly show that the Central Government is shattering the dreams of millions of students who want to become doctors. The National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Ministry of Education are continuously misleading the Supreme Court and the candidates."

Selja highlighted several concerning issues surrounding the NEET exam. After the last date for applying for the NEET (UG)-2024 examination on March 16, the NTA had opened the registration window for two days on April 9-10. During this period, a staggering 24,246 new applications were filled within 24 hours, raising eyebrows. 

The Sirsa MP further stated that the NTA and the Ministry of Education have been unable to provide information on how many of these applicants qualified and how many became the top rankers. This lack of transparency has added to the concerns surrounding the examination process.

Selja also pointed out a significant increase in the number of high-scoring students this year. While in the last five years, only 13,000-15,000 students scored between 620 and 720 marks, this time, a whopping 58,263 students had scored in this bracket. "Notably, only the number of high-scoring students increased, while there was no significant increase in the number of low-scoring students. In fact, there has been a decrease in this category of students," she said. 

The Congress MP highlighted that if all the links related to the exam across the country are connected, it becomes evident that there have been large-scale malpractices, paper leaks, and various other kinds of irregularities. 

Selja cited instances where the police had made arrests in connection with the NEET exam. In Gujarat, five people were arrested, and cheques worth Rs 2.3 crore were seized from them for allegedly giving candidates their desired exam centers. In Bihar, 13 individuals were arrested for their alleged involvement in the paper leak case. 

"The police also found burnt NEET papers, but why is the NTA refusing to acknowledge this?" Selja questioned. She also raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the process of awarding grace marks to 1,563 students for the loss of time during the exam. Selja claimed that neither was the NTA's governing body consulted for approval, nor was it disclosed who recommended the grace marks formula. 

With the Supreme Court setting the hearing date for NTA's response on July 8, Selja expressed concern over the counseling date being set for July 6, questioning why it is not being postponed.

Selja emphasized that the NEET scandal has impacted the future of 2.4 million students in the country. She urged the Central Government to prioritize the aspirations of these students over protecting any favorites and immediately announce the cancellation of the exam and declare a new date for the same.