There was an exposure of a NEET examination scam recently.
A couple of mails sent to the administrators of the Theni Government Medical College, Tamil Nadu blew the lid off the scam with far-reaching consequences.
What did happen?
A student of the Theni Government Medical College had gained his seat through ploy — by having someone impersonate him at the NEET.
This turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg, and as investigators began unravelling the spool, more skeletons tumbled out.
A number of students and their parents were investigated for possible impersonation fraud in the NEET.
They were investigated for operating with the help of middlemen to hire a medical student to write the test for them, for a hefty consideration.
This required spinning a careful web of deception.
Submitting photos of the impersonator in the NEET application forms to appear for the examinations and for single-window counselling for admissions.
Submitting the application with the original student’s photo at the allotted college.
Further probe cast a shadow on the admission of more students, including in private medical colleges.
With the CB-CID tasked with investigating the case, bits and pieces of the puzzle are falling in place, revealing a multi-State operation.
Larger picture - With all its many nuances, larger picture is not clear.
It’s evident that fraud has been committed and serious lapses in procedures and processes were exploited by students eager to score a medical seat.
They might have gotten away with it, for an anonymous tip-off.
What could be done?
Given that NEET was intended to standardise testing for admission into medical colleges and ensure a certain minimum quality, such lapses erode the very core of its raison d’étre.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Testing Agency are the agencies which conducts the examination.
They must exhibit zero tolerance to such attempts to frustrate the integrity of the test.
They must immediately set their energies to identify gaps in the existing system.
They must ensure that a foolproof testing methodology is in place.
Using biometrics to identify students taking NEET has been suggested, and its value in adding a further layer of checks and balances is indisputable.
Parents and students too would do well to temper their vaulting ambition for an MBBS seat with a measure of rationality.
There are only a limited number of MBBS seats available, and while that number is slowly growing, it will never equal the demand.
