June 27,2024
New Delhi: Following the controversy sparked by the alleged claims of paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET UG results, which escalated to widespread protests across the country, when the government unexpectedly announced the postponement of the NEET PG entrance test in less than 12-hour before its schedule, at Prima facie it gave of a impressions of some serious problems in the system.
Caught in this double whammy, multiple attempts made by top officials failed to provide justifications and convinced students and other stakeholders leading to its widespread criticism and embarrassment of the newly elected government at both Political and societal front However, several experts from the medical industry and its related academia have opined a different view.
Experts from both academia and industry spoke about the NEET row and voiced strong support for the government’s recent measures, emphasizing that these actions are essential for the broader good.
Dr Sharad Agarwal, Ex IMA President, said, “IMA is relieved by the action of central government regarding the misconduct in the NEET UG examination by accepting our demand of a CBI probe to find the culprits. We thank the government for removing Subodh Kumar, the outgoing DG of NTA and replacing him with Pradeep Kumar, this will help in a fair probe and for constituting a high-level committee which will provide suggestions to make the exam free of corruption.”
Commenting over the unexpected postponement of NEET PG test the doctor said, “We are a little apprehensive about the last moment postponement of NEET PG exam it caused a lot of inconvenience to thousands of aspirants who had outstation exam centres and This could have been done at least 24 hours prior to the exam but we believe there must be some reasons for this last moment decision
“We hope the sanctity of this exam will be maintained and it will regain the confidence of all aspirants, ” Dr Agarwal added.
Underlining the need of such steps Dr Mohanan Kunnummal, VC Kerala University of Health sciences emphasised, “The Indian medical graduates has earned a great reputation both India and abroad, they serve the whole globe and we have establish a brand name and this name will be maintained only if our selection process is transparent and honest.”
“The complaints related to the result will be cleared within a few days and NEET PG will definitely happen soon but before that we have to clean up the whole mess of allegations and the Govt. is committed to maintain the transparency of this examination, ” Dr Kunnummal added.
Backing the steps taken by the Central Government and providing assurance to students Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, Vice Chancellor, Maharashtra Health University said, “Several issues have come up in the results of NEET UG whereas NEET PG has been canceled but whatever decision has been taken in the best interest of students and very soon all deserving students will start their studies in various institutions.”
A similar opinion was voiced by another academician Dr Datteswar Hota NMC, Vice Chancellor, Orissa University. who stated, “The decision is in the greater interest of the students to ensure the selection of meritorious and deserving ones. We have overcome many crises in the past and I am sure this time also we will find an early solution to this problem with collective wisdom.”
Highlighting the compulsions behind such decisions Dr MK Ramesh, Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi Health University, Karnataka added, “Doubts have been raised regarding the credibility of these exams (NEET UG and the NEET PG)…. in such a situation the government has taken a tough stand but this is inevitable in order to bring back the confidence to a system certain tough measures have to be taken, shortly the new dates will be announced and all students will get the opportunity to write their exams in an honest environment.”
Experts from the industry have also backed these efforts, mentioning the steps taken to address the problem Dr Harish Chellani, Professor and Head of Department Pediatric, Safdarjung Hospital said, “Proactive steps have been taken to ensure transparency in various competitions and make this exam full prof , including the appointment of a new DG of the NTA; Entrusting CBI for comprehensive investigation of the matter and constitution of a high-level committee for reforming the mechanism of the examination process, making improvements in data security protocols, along with the structure and functioning of NTA.
Voicing a similar stance Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman, Sir Gangaram Hospital, added, “The government has taken appropriate Immediate steps to alleviate the problem a retest has been ordered and a thorough investigation is taking place to plug the loopholes and to avoid such events in future.”
The ongoing discourse around the NEET examination reflects the complex balancing act required to reform education in a diverse and populous country like India. As the government and experts continue to defend the necessity of NEET, it is clear that any long-term solution must address the multifaceted challenges faced by students while striving to uphold the integrity and fairness of the medical admission process.
Source: Healthworld