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The Supreme Court’s rejection of the demand for a retest has ended the two-month uncertainty over NEET-UG, and set on course the much-delayed process of counselling and admissions. The court refused to order a retest on the grounds that the material on record did not show any “systemic breach” that vitiated the exam’s sanctity. The implications of a retest would also have weighed on the court’s mind. During the hearing, the court said a retest would have serious consequences for the 24 lakh students who took the test, and disrupt the admission schedule with cascading effects. The conduct of the exam was flawed. Leaks were confirmed in Patna and Hazaribagh, and investigators found many malpractices and violations of norms. The court ordered the NTA (National Testing Agency) to make corrections that would impact over four lakh students, including 44 who secured perfect scores. It also found the award of marks for a question in the physics paper faulty, and ordered a correction.
All this showed serious deficiencies in the conduct of the exam, and it would be wrong for the government to claim that the court’s rejection of the demand for a retest is a vindication of its position. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that ‘’truth has prevailed”, but the truth is that the examination system is prone to malpractice and not immune to attacks. The revelations about exam mafias, the arrest of many persons, and the actions taken against many candidates are proof of that. Several decisions taken by the NTA have come to be questioned. The UGC-NET exam, held in June, was also cancelled by the government, which did not cite any specific reason. The dismissal of the NTA chief and the appointment of a committee to look into the mess are in themselves an admission of the failure of the system.
The current system needs an overhaul in favour of a transparent, credible, efficient, and accountable system. One view is that a centralised examination system, based on the principle of ‘one nation, one exam’, does not suit a country with diverse educational and social situations and needs. Leaks and malpractices in a few places held up the future of 24 lakh students, and stressed them and their parents out. The system is also criticised as having an urban, pro-rich bias, giving an advantage to students who can afford coaching. Some states, including Karnataka, want to dissociate from the NEET system. The Union government should consult the states and other stakeholders to evolve a better examination system.