NEET Paper Leak Controversy: Sharp questions were asked to NTA officials in the Joint Committee of Parliament on NEET paper leak controversy. The opposition asked that if the paper was not leaked then why was the re-exam conducted. NTA has also given a big hint on CBT mode in future.
NTA Parliamentary Committee: The controversy regarding NEET, the country’s biggest medical entrance exam, has once again reached Parliament. In the meeting of the Parliamentary Joint Committee constituted on issues related to the Ministry of Education, on Thursday, many important questions were asked to the officials of the National Testing Agency regarding paper leak, investigation and re-examination.
In this meeting which lasted for about five hours, opposition MPs raised serious questions on the functioning of NTA and the credibility of the examination. At the same time, NTA officials clearly told the parliamentary committee that at present they do not consider the NEET case as a “paper leak”, because it is still being investigated by the CBI.
What happened in the parliamentary committee?
According to sources, the meeting started at 11 am and continued till 4 pm. Top officials of NTA along with senior officials of the Education Ministry were present in it. During the meeting, opposition MPs continuously raised questions regarding alleged irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET exam. When NTA was asked whether the exam paper was leaked, agency officials replied that until the Central Bureau of Investigation completes its investigation and officially declares the paper as leaked, the agency will not consider it as leaked.
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The big question of the opposition- ‘Then why re-exam?’
Opposition MPs reacted sharply to this reply of NTA. According to sources, an opposition MP asked that if the paper was not leaked, then why was there a need to conduct the examination again? In response to this question, NTA officials said that there were complaints of some irregularities in the examination process and re-exam was conducted to maintain the confidence of the students. This answer has now become a new issue of political debate. The opposition alleges that if the examination was fair then the decision of re-examination itself raises many questions.
Digvijay Singh also asked many questions
According to sources, committee chairman Digvijay Singh also asked many questions to NTA officials regarding examination management and security arrangements. During the meeting, paper setting, distribution system and monitoring of examination centers were also discussed. It is being told that some opposition MPs demanded that the investigation report be placed before the parliamentary committee so that transparency of the entire matter is maintained.
Ruling party and opposition face to face
During the meeting, different attitudes were seen between the MPs of the ruling party and the opposition. According to sources, some MPs from the ruling party were seen supporting the arguments of NTA. When opposition MPs raised the demand to present the CBI investigation report before the committee, some ruling party MPs opposed it. He said that CBI is an independent investigating agency and it should be allowed to do its work without political pressure.
What did NTA say about the reforms?
In the meeting, NTA also informed about several steps to make the examination process more secure in future. According to sources, the agency said that work is being done to include trusted and verified people in the paper setting and distribution system. Apart from this, serious consideration is also being given to conducting the NEET exam in computer based test i.e. CBT mode in future. The agency believes that digital examination system can reduce the risks related to paper leaks and examination security.
Concerns of students and parents continue
The NEET controversy has increased the concerns of lakhs of students and parents across the country. Questions are constantly being raised regarding transparency and fairness in medical entrance examinations. Education experts say that not only testing, but also technical and administrative reforms in the examination system are necessary. At present, CBI investigation is going on in the entire matter and after the discussion of the parliamentary committee, this issue has become more discussed at both political and academic levels.
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