Last year’s irregularities in NEET must be prevented, says medical experts

CHENNAI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that it would conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in pen and paper mode in a single day and single shift.

However, considering the irregularities that led to questions on the integrity of the exam last year, experts opined that several changes such as limiting the number of attempts, online examination and age restriction need to be implemented for it to be fair.

Additionally, the NTA stated that as per Section 14 of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020, there shall be a uniform NEET (UG) for admission to undergraduate courses in each of the medical disciplines –BAMS, BUMS, and BSMS courses of the Indian System of Medicine in all medical institutions. NEET (UG) shall also be applicable to admission to the BHMS course under the National Commission for Homeopathy.

The notification stated that aspirants to Military Nursing Service seeking admission to BSc Nursing for 2025 are also required to qualify for NEET. The NEET score will be used for shortlisting for selection to the four-year nursing course.

Welcoming the single-phase system of the examination, Dr GR Ravindranath, general secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, said: “Conducting the exam in a single phase is a welcome move but exam for the paramedical and other courses need to be conducted separately to ensure transparency and clarity.”

He also urged the agency to ensure that the question papers were available only at the last minute to prevent leaks. Suggesting a digital format as a preventive measure, Ravindranath stated, “It will be better if the exam is held online, as the question paper can be made available online and the answers can be marked using pen and paper. There can be different sets of question papers prepared to avoid any form of irregularities.”

With most toppers being repeaters and no age restriction for NEET examination, education experts also advised the NTA to limit the number of attempts, and added: “While a SC/ST candidate can have around 5 attempts, the general category can have 3 attempts. This will ensure that opportunities are given in a fair manner. A lot of senior people are attempting the examination after multiple attempts.”

Concurring to this was Dr P Vasanthamani, former Director of Medical Education, who added that the age restriction of NEET was important for it to be recognised as a meritorious examination. “It’s not fair if someone with 15-20 attempts clears NEET against someone who has just prepared for the examination in a few years,” he pointed out.

Citing the example of a 61-year-old man who had given up the seat after clearing NEET in 2020, Dr Vasanthamani explained, “He didn’t take the seat because he did not want to waste it as he would not be able to serve the government. However, it might not be the same with everyone. People who are around 40, and going to get the government seat will be able to finish MBBS by the time they turn 47. With retirement age being 60, they would hardly serve as a doctor in a government service for 13 years. It’s unfair for younger candidates.”

Despite such legitimate concerns, allegations of paper leaks remain as the main worry, as question papers and other exam-related information are often reportedly circulated on various social media platforms. The issue of multiple toppers from the same exam centre was related to the paper leaks in 2024.

Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council coordinator, Indian Medical Association – Junior Doctors’ Network, who raised the issue of several scams related to NEET, averred that the exam paper could be leaked from the printing press. “The best way to protect is serious surveillance of that zone with high security. Reports of cheating in the exam hall are common too. So, all rooms should be under surveillance for that duration and monitored by an NTA team. Additionally, immediate action needs to be taken against Telegram groups spreading false papers,” he stated.