In the backdrop of the alleged scam in 2024 NEET exams, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to scrap the centrally organised National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for entry to undergraduate medical courses and reintroduce the age old joint entrance examinations conducted by the individual states.
Referring to the "allegations of paper leaks" and taking of bribes "by certain people and officials in the conduct of the examinations," the Chief Minister wrote "the opening of windows to accommodate certain students to apply for examinations, grace marks, etc. are some of the serious issues that need complete attention and require a thorough, clean and impartial probe. Such instances jeopardise the careers and aspirations of lakhs and lakhs of students who look forward to getting admission into these medical courses."
Asserting that such instances not only compromise the quality of medical education but also adversely affect the healthcare services as a whole Banerjee sought to draw a comparison between the system that prevailed before 2017 when the State conducted their own entrance examinations for medical and engineering courses saying the pre-2017 system where "states were allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations, and the central government also used to conduct its examinations for admission into medical courses ... "functioned smoothly and without many problems."
The decentralized system that prevailed before 2017 --- as against the present "unitary and centralized" form --- was not only in tune with the spirit of India's federal structure but also free from corruption. The present system had allowed corrupt practices and allowed the rich people to extract the benefits of the medical education.
She also said that the older system was "better attuned to the regional curricula and educational standards," insisting while her own government spent more than Rs. 50 lakh per doctor on education and internships it "should be given the freedom to select medical students through the Joint Entrance Examination."
