Recently, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA), seeking a reply in the NEET-UG result irregularities case. 

Supreme Court issues notice to NTA over NEET-UG 2024 paper leak allegations

• There have been 41 paper leaks over the last five years in 15 states such as UP Constable Recruitment and Promotion Exam Paper, 2023, Rajasthan Eligibility for Elementary Teachers (REET), etc.
• About the NEET 2024 Issue: 
  • Allegations of Irregularities: The NEET UG 2024 results revealed a historic occurrence with 67 candidates achieving a perfect score, sparking allegations of irregularities. Reports of paper leaks and fraud also have surfaced.
  • Technical Glitches and Exam Mismanagement: Technical issues and delays were reported at several exam centers and hence grace marks were awarded to some students as per NTA.
• Action Taken:
  • Formation of Expert Panel to Review: The NTA clarified that grace marks were awarded to compensate for exam time loss, prompting the Ministry of Education to form a panel to review the situation.
  • Judicial View: The Supreme Court is currently hearing multiple petitions regarding these issues. 

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Major Issues with the Indian Examination System

• Lack of Credibility: There is a lack of credibility and consistency in examinations conducted by different boards and universities. 
  • Frequent Scandals: There are frequent reports of scandals related to paper leaks, cheating, and fake degrees, which erodes public trust in the examination system. 
  • Separate Assessment: Employers often disregard university/board certificates and conduct their own assessments of candidates.
• Overemphasis on Memory: Exams tend to test only rote learning and memory instead of higher-order skills like application, analysis, critical thinking, etc. 
  • Miss on Understanding: It leads to teaching practices focused solely on making students memorize content instead of truly understanding concepts.
• Flawed Assessments: Question papers often have errors, ambiguous questions, test irrelevant content, etc. 
  • Lack of Quality: Evaluation of answer sheets is also not standardized and differences in student learning are not properly reflected in grades awarded. This shows a lack of quality control in setting papers and checking them.
• Secrecy and Lack of Transparency: The entire exam process from setting papers to evaluating answer sheets is highly confidential. This lack of transparency allows mediocre practices to continue and facilitates exam malpractices. 
• Inadequate Regulations: Regulators promote academic autonomy for colleges but do not enforce enough oversight on them. The decentralized system has led to a lack of standardization in learning assessments across institutions. 
• Inadequate Penalties and Enforcement: The existing laws which criminalize cheating have not led to convictions which demonstrates lack of effective enforcement and penalties.
• Lack of Special Investigation Agency: India lacks a dedicated agency to investigate all types of examination offenses and bring culprits to justice quickly.

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Impacts of Frequent Paper Leaks in India

• Emotional, Mental and Physical Fatigue: With the cancellation of exams, there is an increase in the fatigue of students and the fear of a new generation of aspirants joining the queue.
  • Also, students from remote rural backgrounds and marginalized castes are disproportionately impacted as they come from economically backward backgrounds and such a cancellation of exams impacts them a lot.
• Disruption of Academic Calendars: The postponement and cancellation of exams due to paper leaks throw the academic schedules into disarray and cause uncertainty for students.
• Loss of Trust and Confidence: The frequent paper leaks lead to students losing their faith in the fairness of exams and questioning the value of their efforts and education.

Way Forward

• Enhanced Security Measures: To prevent paper leaks and malpractices, there is a need to implement stricter security protocols such as more robust digital encryption and increased surveillance at exam centers.
  • The NTA must, with the assistance of States, ensure that technical glitches and cheating scams, including premature release of question papers, and using proxies, do not recur. 
• Technological Improvements: To address technical glitches, better infrastructure and backup systems are required to ensure a smooth exam process. 
  • Example: Transition to online exams could be a better solution, as it reduces the risks associated with printing and distribution. 
    • Real-time support and troubleshooting teams can help to mitigate issues during the exam. 
  • It is essential for the NTA to enhance its security measures further to prevent such incidents by incorporating better technology for paper distribution and more rigorous checks at exam centers.
  • Use of technology for standardized question paper setting and automated evaluations.
• Modification in the Syllabus: Greater emphasis on evaluating higher-order skills, not just memory recall.
  • To address the issue of regional board students, it is required to modify the NEET syllabus to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.
• Policy and Structural Reforms: To address the allegations that NEET is facing from its formation, there is a need to establish a review committee to regularly assess its process and suggest improvements.
  • External audit of exam boards and publishing performance reports periodically.
  • Continuous assignments and assessments in addition to final exams.
  • Grievance redressal mechanisms for students regarding evaluation.
  • Need to ensure minimum quality standards through stricter monitoring.
  • Grading institutions on exam quality parameters like transparency, reliability, etc.

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• Maintain Transparency and Build Communication: Improved transparency from the NTA regarding the steps taken to ensure exam integrity can help rebuild trust among students. 
  • Also, a clear and timely communication about the examination process and any issues that arise will be critical.
  • Ensuring transparency in the exam process through external oversight.
• Shift Education to the State List: It is desirable and required that education can be shifted from the Concurrent List to the State List of the Constitution as it would give more autonomy and flexibility to the states to decide their own admission policies and criteria.
  • It would also enable the states to design their education system according to their regional needs and aspirations and avoid conflicts with the Centre over common entrance tests like NEET.
• Strike a Balance between Equity and Quality: There is a need to devise a more inclusive and holistic admission process that considers both NEET scores and Class XII marks, as well as other factors such as aptitude, socio-economic status, regional diversity, and rural service.
  • It would ensure and promote both merit and social justice.
• Compensation in Case of Exam Cancellation: Compensation should be provided to candidates for years of labor, exorbitant financial cost, and the emotional toll incurred.
• Establishment of Fast-track Courts: It must be established for the trial and convictions for people involved in paper leaks.
• Strict Penalties and its Enforcement: As per the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act, there is a need to impose stringent penalties on persons resorting to unfair means.
• Public Awareness: Creating awareness among the public, particularly students, about the consequences of engaging in malpractices by engaging with educational institutions, civil society organisations, and the media and fostering a culture of integrity.
• Strengthening Examination Administration: Addressing corruption within examination administration requires stringent measures to detect and punish offenders, ensuring accountability and transparency in the conduct of examinations is imperative.

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