Between December 5 and December 13, the online-conducted National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET-PG) was hacked across exam centres in the country.
The exam was held through 16 different sessions across the country. It was held to admit students into postgraduate medical courses for the academic session 2017-2018. 1.17 lakh students attempted NEET-PG 2017.
The hacking has resulted in a rigged system wherein inexperienced, ignorant candidates have passed the test while hard-working, deserving candidates have failed. The unfair outcomes have led to a series of protests, student suicides, petitions, and demonstrations.
Background
There was a massive hue and cry a few days ago in Delhi. 500-odd medical students gathered around Nirman Bhawan for a protest, spearheaded by doctors who began the group “India Against Munna Bhai MD/MS” (IAMB) – a group that fights against any corruption in medical entrance examinations.
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Posted by Save Doctors Right on Wednesday, May 17, 2017
To understand the issue better, The Logical Indian spoke to Dr Sudhir, a member of the group. He said, “When the matter was considered in depth, it came to be noticed that our country’s medical education, which is the base of healthcare delivery, has been compromised in many ways. To get a glimpse into the situation, it is worth noting that there were more than 50 PILs filed in various Courts of Justice, including the honourable Supreme Court. This speaks out by itself that there is some serious problem with the current scenario.”
According to IAMB, the main problem behind this corruption – the issue that the hundreds of people were protesting in Delhi recently and which has affected tens of thousands of young Indians – is the NEET-PG fraud.
The NEET-PG is not a simple exam – it consists of speciality exams. The last NEET-PG was conducted in December 2016. It was conducted over 16 sessions from December 5 and December 13.
Testing software prone to hacking – and it was hacked
Dr Sudhir said, “After this prolonged examination, the candidates are evaluated by a software, Prometric – a psychometric analysis. Every person is compared with each other and a uniform scale is conjured. This in itself is a very complex process. JEE, CAT – these exams are completed in one day; the NEET-PG literally went on for days on end … Furthermore, students are not told their score – they are merely ranked according to the scale. And they are made to sign a non-disclosure agreement, wherein they are instructed to not discuss the exam questions and details even after the end of the exam.”
On the one hand, students think that those with more luck or those who have worked harder get a higher rank. But on the other hand, there are many discrepancies in the system.
As it became apparent after the examination, the entire examination process was faulty. When people were giving the exam in December, there was a cyber hacking. And some agents called up some candidates and told them that money could buy them good grades because “setting kara li hai”.
The Logical Indian spoke to Dr Kanav and Dr Raghuram Nayak, both leaders of IAMB. They said the main culprit behind the hacking and the mismanagement is the head of the NBE, Mr Batra himself. “He has given an illegal tender to one foreign company – Prometric – which is incapable of conducting such a big exam, and they are no India-based. They employ computer centres in India to conduct the exam, and these centres are not well-equipped to conduct the exam. We have been filing RTIs against his appointment since 2-3 years. Already a chargesheet is there against Batra for sexual harassment but no action has been taken against him.”
Efforts to get justice
After the exam, a FIR was duly filed with the Delhi Police. “The police have caught four of the agents till now – but none of the candidates involved in the racket has been identified or apprehended. Additionally, there’s another dilemma – we don’t know how many seats were rigged. There’s no way of knowing this at this point in time. Now imagine the seriousness of the situation. Imagine the seriousness of the impact of untrained doctors. You have candidates who don’t know the difference between a stomach and an abdomen beating deserving candidates. Many of the candidates who passed the previous NEET-PG are ill-equipped for the demanding medical profession. The social impact of the issue cannot – and should not – be underestimated. People will be looted, people will die.”
IAMB has approached the Prime Minister’s Office, the Delhi Police, and local authorities; they have conducted protests and voiced their concerns to even Amit Shah. Besides the…
