 |
|
The National Testing Agency's (NTA) release of the NEET-UG 2024 results has brought to light a concerning pattern of high-scoring student clusters concentrated in specific locations, particularly in Rajasthan's Sikar district. This has raised suspicions of potential exam irregularities and prompted calls for further investigation. Out of the 50 NEET exam centers with the highest percentage of candidates scoring above 650 – a score crucial for securing admission to government medical colleges – a staggering 37 are situated in Sikar alone. This anomaly has sparked outrage and calls for intervention, with parents of students alleging potential unfair advantages.
The stark contrast between the national average of 1.29% students scoring above 650 and Sikar's 7.48% scoring the same has fueled concerns. This clustering of high-scoring candidates in specific regions, particularly Sikar, has raised serious questions about the integrity of the exam and the possibility of unfair advantage. Parents of students, like Krishan Sharma, who are petitioning the Supreme Court in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, have demanded a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into these anomalies. The high scoring clusters in Sikar are not an isolated incident, as similar patterns have been observed in other states as well.
The CBI is already investigating paper leak cases in several states, including Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, and Maharashtra, where high-scoring clusters have also been identified. Gujarat has also been placed under scrutiny due to potential paper leak cases. The analysis of NEET 2024 data by RTI activist Vivek Pandey reveals other outliers, including centres in Rajkot and Ahmedabad, where a significant percentage of students scored above 700. He also highlights the unusually high percentage of students scoring above 600 in Rewari and Mahendragarh, both in Haryana. These outliers further reinforce the need for a thorough investigation into the possibility of exam irregularities and the potential for unfair advantage to students in certain regions.
The concerns over clustering of high-scoring students are compounded by instances of confirmed paper leaks. In Jharkhand, the Oasis school, where the paper was leaked, has seen 23 students scoring above 600 marks. The school principal and vice-principal have been arrested by the CBI. Similar instances of paper leaks in Patna, with arrests made in Godhra, further highlight the vulnerability of the NEET examination process to malpractice. The need for transparency and accountability has been underscored by these incidents. The demand for public release of NEET-UG 2023 data by Dr. Sharma, one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court, aims to facilitate comparisons and potentially identify any consistent patterns or anomalies that may point to broader systemic issues in the exam process.
The high-scoring clusters in Sikar and other locations, coupled with the confirmed instances of paper leaks, raise serious concerns about the fairness and integrity of the NEET examination. A thorough investigation by the CBI is essential to address these anomalies and ensure that the entrance examination is conducted with transparency and accountability. The future of medical education in India depends on the fair selection of deserving candidates, and it is imperative that these concerns are addressed effectively to safeguard the integrity of the entire process.
Source: 37 of the 50 top-scoring NEET centres are clustered in Rajasthan’s Sikar district