June 8th 2024.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate, known as NEET-UG, has been facing a lot of criticism lately. The exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), declared its results on June 4 and it has been surrounded by allegations of irregularities. Many students who appeared for the medical entrance test have claimed that their marks were inflated, leading to an unprecedented 67 students getting the top rank. What's even more surprising is that eight students from a single exam center managed to achieve this feat.
The NTA, however, has denied any wrongdoing and has stated that the changes made in the NCERT textbooks and the provision of grace marks for students who lost time during the examination are the reasons behind the higher scores. A closer look at the scores of the top rankers in previous years reveals that in 2021, only three students managed to get a perfect score of 720 out of 720. In 2022, there was not a single student with a perfect score, with the highest being 715 and only four students achieving it. In 2023, two students got a perfect score. But this year, a staggering 67 students have managed to achieve a perfect score. This has raised a lot of questions, especially since a few students have scored 718 or 719 out of 720. This seems impossible as the marking pattern for the exam is four marks for each correct answer and one mark deducted for every wrong answer. This has prompted the candidates to demand clarification from the NTA regarding the matter.
However, despite the NTA's explanations, students, parents, doctors, and educationists that Orissa POST spoke to are not satisfied. They believe that even with such high scores, the top rankers will struggle to secure seats in premier medical institutions due to the limited number of seats. This raises the question of the purpose of scoring high marks if it does not guarantee admission to a good college. Moreover, the early declaration of the results, 10 days before the scheduled date without any prior notice, has added to the controversy. Many believe that conducting the exam in an online mode would be a better solution to ensure transparency.
Suprit Mishra, a NEET aspirant from the state, who scored 690 marks, feels that the irregularities have ruined his chances of getting admission in a good institution, despite putting in two years of hard work to prepare for the exam. He had hoped to study at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, but now it seems like a distant dream. He also believes that the provision of grace marks is not acceptable and instead, the students should have been given grace time during the exam.
Another candidate, Pritam Patra, who scored 715 marks, shares the same sentiment and believes that the students who missed out on admission by a narrow margin due to the grace marks should be given a fair chance. He suggests that the NTA should take appropriate action against those who were awarded grace marks or conduct a separate examination for them.
Rounak Mallick, who scored 695 marks, also wants the NTA to recheck the ranks and address the controversy surrounding the grace marks. According to him, the selection process should be fair and merit-based, ensuring that deserving students get admission in medical colleges. Subasish Behera, a dentist and health expert, also believes that proper rules and systems should be put in place to select the best candidates for medical courses. He emphasizes on the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to producing future doctors for the country.
Amrit Pattajoshi, a medical practitioner, suggests that exams should be skill-based rather than just multiple-choice questions. He feels that many students excel at MCQs but lack the motivation and temperament to become good doctors. He also suggests that students should undergo mandatory internships at medical facilities before appearing for medical exams.
Subhransu Dash, a college student, expresses his solidarity with the NEET aspirants and believes that the NTA has created a mess with the way the exam has been conducted. He empathizes with the students who have been negatively impacted by the decision to award grace marks and inflate scores. He stands with them in their fight against this unfair disadvantage.
In conclusion, the NEET-UG exam and the NTA's handling of it have been met with widespread criticism and dissatisfaction from students, parents, doctors, and educationists. Many believe that the selection process needs to be reformed to ensure that deserving students get admission to medical colleges. It is a matter of producing quality doctors for the future of the country, and it should not be compromised.
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