It takes three minutes for a neuron (brain cell) to die, if a correct action is not taken by the doctor while attending a cardiac arrest or an impending hypoxic ischemic brain injury. For these “three minutes” a student has to dedicate around 60,000 hours of his life that includes his high school, MBBS, MD, super specialty to finally becoming a life-saver.
But imagine how disheartening it would be if that student on his first step of initiation, to be now addressed as an aspirant realizes that the foundation of the journey itself is so weak.
We are all well aware about the NEET UG fiasco and I personally feel that it’s an exam that doesn’t hold any value anymore and has definitely become a monetary hoax.
A resentment has already risen across few states in the country — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and others against NEET UG. Let’s discuss why these states and majority of the young aspirants have become anti-NEET:
- Access to resources– Education is becoming more expensive each year and only those who can afford going to coaching classes or purchasing high-end gadgets can have access to detailed information which itself is a huge topic of discussion. We have ourselves witnessed Justice AK Rajan Committee preparing a report on behalf of socially and economically deprived aspirants wanting to appear in the exam.
- CBSE biased pattern– it has been observed that NEET has CBSE oriented pattern of questions which makes it difficult for students from the other state board schools to approach. Also, a single body conducting the exam, implementing a single window system with almost no transparency challenges the autonomy of individual states, as put forth by the Tamil Nadu government in a suit.
- Does not promote merit– Students belonging to wealthier families can get a seat in any private college in the “paid’ quota irrespective of whether they have qualified NEET. On the other hand, a mid-ranker has no option but to drop out and try their luck next year.
Score Calculation– the calculation of normalization and ranking is ludicrous. In 2024, 67 students secured a perfect score of 720/720, sharing Rank 1. The scoring irregularity was further exemplified by the NTA awarding scores 718 and 719 to certain candidates, after giving compensatory marks to certain students as their time was wasted due to a confusion at the exam venue. Every year our country has faced some natural calamity, leading to many of the aspirants getting stuck in floods and rendering them unable to reach the exam venue on time at the venue. How many get of them have gotten compensatory grace marks? NONE. Then why in 2024?
- Translation errors- When questions are translated for government schools and Tamil medium schools, tremendous errors are generated, leading to dip in scores and creating confusion in understanding the question.
These are just handful of concerns that had led questions to be raised surrounding one of the most prestigious exams, the NEET UG. Bihar’s scam of NEET UG 2024 has definitely opened a can of worms its high time we address these issues.
Just think — if only the privileged become the crème of the society, will it not have an impact on the rural sector? (It is undeniable that when an individual born and brought up in the rural sector, becomes a service provider for his own people, it creates far more empathy than someone totally unknown entering their territory.)
But having views in favor or against a topic such as this is not a solution. I believe that a single exam that has a very narrow perspective by focusing on only one aspect of human potential — memory — is inadequate. An entrance exam must have a holistic approach that includes gauging one’s problem-solving, intellect, emotional intelligence, observational insight and communication skills.
In the end, slow is the fastest way to achieve success.
“Doctors are not born, they are created.”
