Context: The Supreme Court ruled that there would be no re-test for the NEET UG 2024 exam.
Ruling:
- The court concluded that the exam irregularities impacted around 155 beneficiaries and found no evidence of systemic failure in its conduct.
Issues Raised:
- Systemic Deficiencies: Cases registered by the CBI in locations such as Hazaribagh, Godhra, and Latur show that many malpractices were committed by invigilators, city coordinators, and individuals authorized by the NTA.
- Inadequate Investigations: The NTA and CBI did not take sufficient action to determine if other centers faced similar issues.
- Flawed Statistical Analysis: The report by IIT Madras was considered superficial and contained inaccuracies, such as overlooking the performance of candidates who had a change of center.
- Uneven Distribution of Top Ranks: Data shows a skewed distribution of top ranks concentrated in coaching hubs like Kota and Sikar.
- Economic and Gender Bias: The high costs of coaching and cultural factors create an uneven playing field, favoring wealthy and male students.
- Urban Migration: The uneven distribution of opportunities leads to urban migration, with the middle class moving to cities with CBSE schools, as seen in Ratnagiri.
Way Forward:
- Transparency: Make all relevant data public and conduct long-term studies, similar to the Rajan Committee Report commissioned by the Tamil Nadu Government.
- Balancing Centralization and Inclusivity: Develop policies that balance the benefits of centralization with the inclusivity and relevance of regional higher education policies.