State-level autonomy needed in NEET: AISEC

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: A state-level convention led by the Karnataka wing of the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) against alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) was organised here on Saturday.

Former Advocate General of the state, Professor Ravivarma Kumar, stressed the importance of safeguarding the medical education and healthcare sector of the country.

“The National Testing Agency (NTA) is constitutionally illegal and needs to be abolished immediately,” he said. He added that the autonomy of overseeing examinations like these needs to be given to the state. “Centralisation leads to corruption and fraud, neglecting democratic principles.”

Professor Jawahar Nesan L., former vice chancellor of JSS Technical University, Mysuru, and former High Power Committee member for NEET, echoed similar concerns about corruption in NEET.

“When the state of Tamil Nadu passed a bill seeking the abolishment of NEET, it cited student suicides and the deteriorating mental health of the students. In a few years, other states from various parts of the country have followed suit in seeking the abolishment of NEET. It can be claimed that the coaching centres and the NTA are in a nexus where key information that can benefit students under said coaching centres is shared,” he added.

Dr. Prabhudev N., former director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and former Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University, criticised the privatisation of the exam rather than the idea itself.