West Bengal, Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee on Friday penned a letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, urging him to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and reinstate the previous system where state governments conducted the examinations. She alleged that the current system has led to widespread corruption.
“The allegations of paper leaks, bribery involving certain individuals and officials, unauthorized admissions, and the awarding of grace marks are some of the serious issues that need thorough, clean, and impartial investigation,” the letter stated.
Mamata emphasized that such instances jeopardize the careers and aspirations of countless students aspiring to secure admission into medical courses.
She urged PM Modi to bring back the previous enrolment system, allowing states to conduct their own entrance exams. “Before 2017, states conducted their own entrance examinations, and the central government also held its exams for medical course admissions. This system functioned smoothly and aligned better with regional curricula and educational standards,” she noted.
Mamata further claimed that the current system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to pay bribes, while meritorious students from poor and middle-class backgrounds suffer the most.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exams, has faced severe criticism over alleged irregularities, leading to nationwide protests and demands for the NTA’s disbandment.
The controversy intensified when an unprecedented 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720 out of 720, raising further concerns.
Amid the ongoing protests and backlash from opposition parties, the central government removed the chief of the NTA from his position, following the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and the cancellation of the UGC-NET Exam.
