Commenting on the alleged irregularities in the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on the issue. Sibal has urged Modi to acknowledge that “corruption is prevalent” in the country.
The NEET-UG 2024 results, declared on June 4, have sparked widespread controversy. Key issues include the awarding of grace marks to 1,500 students, an unusually high number of perfect scores, and allegations regarding the leak of the question paper. In response, several petitions have been filed in both the Supreme Court and various high courts by students demanding a re-test, citing irregularities and discrepancies. The Supreme Court has now permitted a retest for over 1,500 students who received grace marks.
In an interview with ANI from California on Sunday, Sibal said, “First of all, the Prime Minister should come in front of the people in Parliament and say that yes, we made a mistake. Corruption has been going on in the country for a long time and it is prevalent in every department. Until the government does not accept this matter, there will be no solution to this.”
Sibal recollected the Prime Minister’s prior claims that corruption within ministries had been eradicated, “I remember that the Prime Minister had said that corruption in our ministries has been eradicated. So it seems that this (NEET) is not a case of corruption, this is a matter of goods and services,” he quipped.
Sibal also criticized Modi’s “silence” surrounding the ongoing NEET-UG controversy and other pressing national issues, notably the violence in Manipur. “I will remind the Prime Minister of what you said; if you see corruption taking place, then you must comment on it in some way or another. You always remain silent. Whether it is about Manipur, he remains silent or whether it is about terrorism, he remains silent. Terrorism will end, cash transactions will end, and corruption will also end.
. We are watching all this,” Sibal added.
The former HRD minister pointed out that the NEET issue falls under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry, not the Ministry of Human Resource Development. “The Health Minister has not commented on this to date. The HRD minister, whatever he says, does not come to work. In a profession where we are going to make a student a doctor, if that student becomes a doctor by paying money then how will he practice medicine? What kind of doctor will he be?” he questioned.
The controversy has led to an uproar among students and their families, prompting multiple petitions in the apex court. These petitions sought directions to annul the NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging issues such as paper leakage and malpractices in the test, which was conducted on May 5.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET-UG examination, responded by informing the Supreme Court on June 13 that the scorecards of 1,563 candidates who received “grace marks” in the NEET-UG exam will be annulled, and these candidates will have the chance to retake the exam on June 23. The revised results are expected to be declared before June 30.
The NTA also established a committee to review the results of over 1,563 candidates who were allotted “grace marks” due to the disruption experienced during the NEET-UG examination. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear further petitions on this issue on July 8.
NEET-UG, conducted by the NTA, is an essential examination that paves the way for admission into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions across India. The exam, therefore, holds significant importance for the aspiring medical students of the country.
The recent turn of events surrounding NEET-UG 2024 results has not only raised questions about the integrity of the examination process but also cast a spotlight on broader issues of corruption and accountability within the examination system and governmental oversight in India. The coming weeks will be crucial as authorities address these pressing concerns that bear immense implications for students’ futures and the country’s educational standards.
