NEET not neat: Six students from BJP-linked school top the exam
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Hardayal Public School in Jhajjar, Haryana, has become the epicentre of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam, a crucial test for medical college admissions in India. The issue emerged when it was revealed that an unusual number of students at this centre achieved exceptionally high scores, including six students who received perfect marks of 720 out of 720, according to a report published in The Wire.
This anomaly raised suspicions and questions about the integrity of the examination process at this centre.
The controversy deepened when it was discovered that students at Hardayal Public School, run by BJP workers, were given different question papers compared to other test centres. Normally, NEET question papers are stored securely in public sector banks. However, at Hardayal and another centre, Vijaya Senior Secondary School, both sets of question papers were mistakenly distributed.
This error led to significant confusion and time loss for the students. Despite this, students at Hardayal Public School were later awarded grace marks by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to compensate for the lost time, a move that has since been criticized for its lack of transparency and fairness.
The political connections of the school's management have added a layer of complexity to the issue, with the president of Hardayal Public School, Anuradha Yadav, and her nephew, Shekhar Yadav, who is actively involved in the BJP, under scrutiny. Shekhar Yadav serves as the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and harbours political ambitions, leading to speculations about potential influence and bias in the handling of the NEET examination at this centre.
Despite the widespread allegations, local police and authorities seemed unaware of the irregularities. Assistant Police Inspector Mahavir Singh, stationed at a nearby police post, and other officials did not have any specific information about the issue.
The BJP had made promises to curb examination irregularities in its Lok Sabha election manifesto and had passed a law in February to prevent paper leaks and other examination frauds. This law, however, was implemented only a day before the NEET exam scandal came to light, highlighting the ongoing challenges in enforcing such regulations effectively.
The incident has led to widespread criticism from students, parents, and educators. Many have questioned the NTA's decision to award grace marks selectively and its methodology in assessing the time lost by students. The inconsistencies in handling the issue have fueled demands for a more thorough and impartial investigation.
The Union government, in response to the outcry, decided to cancel the grace marks awarded to the students and announced a re-examination for those affected. This re-examination was conducted by June 23, in which only 52% of the total 1563 students appeared. The results are to be declared by June 30. This move aims to restore fairness and integrity to the examination process, but it also underscores the need for more robust mechanisms to prevent such issues in the future.