RAMESH PANDITA
The nation is aware of the 2013 Vyapam Scam of the Madhya Pradesh, which caught the attention of both the national and the international media, which again was related the admission scam in the medical courses, involving top bureaucrats and the politicians of the state. During the investigations and the parallel media trial, it got clearly exposed, how Medical Entrance Examination in the Madhya Pradesh was actually rigged by impersonating the medical students from the nearby states. During the investigations, it also emerged that how aspirants were directly helped by the paid medical students, leaking and selling of question papers, rigging of answer sheets, allotting higher marks, filling unfinished answer sheets and many more practices were followed to put the undeserving students at an advantage. One can imagine the magnitude of nexus and the mafia from the fact, that over 2,500 people were accused, over 1,900 were arrested and over 500 are still sought in this connection and above all nearly 50 unnatural deaths of the people accused in the case have been witnessed in the case during the past two years. It was also observed that a medical seat in Madhya Pradesh used to bid for anything between one million to seven million rupees. Chander Bushan, a retired Judge, who headed the three member SIT to monitor the local police investigation observed that “Vyapam is the proverbial tip of the iceberg, this is happening all over the country”.
What is more important to note is that, when we already have different national level examination practices in place for admission, then what is preventing various state governments in general and ours in particular to oppose this particular national level entrance examination test. We should not forget, AIEEE entrance test is conducted at the national level for admission in the IITs and other engineering colleges across the country, we should not forget that Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is conducted for admission in the management courses across the country. We have in place the Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission in management courses in the IIMs across the country. Also, we should not forget National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC, CSIR, and ICAR etc. for research fellowships and employment purposes. If we don’t have any objection to any of these national level exams, which have a proven track record of ensuring transparency, fairness, maintaining standards and above all a corruption free practice, holding merit above everything. One just fails to understand, when people in J and K don’t have problems with all these admission tests, then why so much hue and cry over the NEET.
Some of the state governments are of the view that students from the disadvantaged section of the society for their poor academic attainments may not be able to compete at the national level, as such may be deprived of the opportunity to improve their social and economic standing. Still more, some argue about the existing difference in the syllabi of the state and the central boards. When we are talking about vision 2020 or the uniform development of India on the standard lines, then citing all these reasons and many others sound unusual, which do not hold any significance. India as on date has reached to the stage, where initiatives like having the NEET in place should be welcomed and we should do away with all such conventional practices, which have got nothing substantial to offer. Even though, it would be more appropriate, if all the state governments be asked to refer the state level employment positions to the central recruiting agencies for conducting the entrance test and holding interview, etc. The practice apart from ensuring transparency and impartiality in the recruitment process will ensure that merit is not denied the opportunity. And to begin with state governments can refer their local level administrative service exams to central government agencies like UPSC etc. Standardisation of higher education is imperative for the sustainable growth and development of the country in general and to those in particular who were at a disadvantage for generations for different reasons. Conducting NEET is one of the laudable initiatives of the present central dispensation, having no reasons why the initiative should not be welcomed by all. The state governments despite knowing very well the amount of corruption, nepotism and other ill practices involved in the medical admissions all across the country and thereon, if they are still showing reluctance in replacing these corrupt admission procedures with a more transparent, fair and impartial system, then it should be presumed that these politicians are themselves neck deep corrupt and are intentionally nurturing the corrupt practices.
Besides, it is a known fact that hundreds of private medical colleges are run across the country, mostly by influential people, who are politically well connected, by the politicians themselves and others, and it is these people who actually oppose the conducting of the NEET the most, as they know by having a common entrance test in place, they will be no more able to exploit the conditions to their disadvantage.
(Concluded)
