Draft:Crisis created In Net, Neet Examinations

CRISIS CREATED IN NET, NEET EXAMINATIONS BY

THE NTA AND OUR PROPOSAL FOR REFORMATION

INTRODUCTION:

Probably one of the most furious crises the newly elected NDA/BJP Government is going to face now is the ‘scam in NET, NEET etc. examinations. As per available information, the job of managing ‘post-college level admissions in universities and higher educational institutions’ have been given unto an organization names NTA, meaning National Testing Agency. It would have been better if it was a pure government body, responsible for handling “Admission to Bachelor and Higher-level admissions to the Government institutions for the local and foreign students”. Its essential jobs would have been like, fixing and equivalencing the educational qualifications for admissions, of students from abroad for the purpose of higher-level admission.    

In the recent decades, the money-hungry companies and persons have inserted their dirty noses in the sector of education, resulting extremely high cost of education for the students with no development in ‘standard’. These ‘dirty persons and organizations’ constantly poke their noses in the jobs of the education department in their selfish interests, they manipulate the immoral politicians and create scams.

Whereas the previous governments of India paid little attention to these activities, we painfully, notice the same in the activities of the current government also.  The recent scams with NET, NEET etc.  examinations are the consequences of that carelessness.

In order to make our discussion short and easy to grasp, we shall present those as per following 04 points:

(01) ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION MANAGING ADMISSION, EQUIVALENCING AND MONITORING OF EDUCATION IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS,

         (02)       THE SCAM AND THE EDUCATION MINISTER,

         (03)      THE GAZETTE AND GRACE MARKS CASES OF THE NTA,    

         (04)      CONTEXT OF THE NET, NEET ETC. EXAMINATIONS,                                      

         (05)       NTA’S CURRENT MODE OF OPERATION THAT ENCOURAGED CORRUPTION  

                      and

(06)     OUR PROPOSAL.

PROBLEM (01) :  ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION MANAGING ADMISSION, EQUIVALENCING AND MONITORING OF EDUCATION IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS.

The organization named National Testing Agency or NTA now conducts and monitors all admissions in higher education.  

This ‘Authority’ is empowered to decide, what qualifications the candidates willing to get admission in higher educational institutions might need. Needless to mention, these have to be determined, among many others, on the basis of the provisions and recommendations of the Constitution of India, Universal Human Rights, Norms followed in the developed countries, existing situations of the country. Thus, while the country’s internal admission may utilize Rank List with ‘reservations imposed by the government’, the ‘Merit Lists’ must strictly follow international rule of honouring results, where “no ‘reservation’, but financial help can be introduced”. All these indicate, how important and crucial the duties of this organization are.   

The job of the ‘Authority’ (named NTA) has to manage matters relating to admission, equivalencing of students from abroad and monitor all related matters. in the higher education. Please note, how childish is the name, ‘National Testing Agency’ for such an important organization.

We feel, the organization named (NTA) is too incapable of managing these heavy tasks, where even the name (NTA) seems childish. Its name could be something like, Board of Admission in Higher Education, in short, BAHE. Its job will be Evaluating and Equivalencing School and College Final Education for Admission in Higher Education.    

PROBLEM (02):   THE SCAM AND THE EDUCATION MINISTER:

Recently a number of scams and anomalies in the NET, NETT etc. examinations conducted by the NTA have come to the light. The activities involved extreme corruption involving serious dishonesty and misappropriation of crores of Rupees. Also their consequences deprived millions of students of India.

Immediately after the scams appeared in the medias, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Cabinet Minister for Education, Government of India gave his expression saying something like “there happened no corruption”. Later, all came of the titanic corruption done by the NTA.

Our suggestion is, the government should instruct the education minister, (who says ‘no corruption’ without any inquiry), to submit resignation at the first instant. After accepting the resignation, the government may ask him to continue in the same post till the inquiry is over. The final decision may be taken after the inquiry is over. We believe, it is nice for the government to follow such a norm in all similar cases.  

PROBLEM (03):   THE GAZETTE AND GRACE MARKS CASES OF THE NTA:  

GAZETTE: Immediately after the scam, we came to know that the NTA published a gazette prescribing a new law with stringent penalties, viz.  jail terms and fines, to combat cheating in public exams. The law, they mentioned, effective from June 21, 2024 aims to bring transparency and credibility to exams like NEET and UGC-NET.

According to the education minister, the Act mandates a minimum jail term of three years, extendable to five years, along with a fine of up to Rupees 10 lakh for individuals involved in leaking papers or tampering with answer sheets. Examination service providers are also liable under the Act. Those failing to report possible offences can be fined up to one crore, etc.

In India any public organization can punish its employees to the highest extent of the provisions given by this organization to this employee. In case the organization thinks, the employee should be given bigger punishment, then it must go to the court of law, who use their own rights and norms and punish according to the provisions of the Penal Code. No organization can ever encroach their own limit. We ‘wonder’ what made NTA to make such ‘rules for punishment’ and then publish the same in ‘government gazette’. Also, it should be examined, what made the parliaments to accept such an ‘item’ to publish as a ‘gazette’.

GRACE MARK: Even a child can understand the evil intention of NTA to cover corruption in examination.

We suggest, the Government should take stringent action against all persons in NTA who were (i) behind the foolish job of the preparation of the ‘unnecessary and costly gazette’ and (ii) Introducing grace mark in NEET examination, of course after proper inquiry.  

PROBLEM (04):      ANOMALIES AND CONTEXTS OF THE NET, NEET ETC. EXAMINATIONS:

After finishing the 10-year school and 2-year college education the students come up with their certificates and marksheets to get admitted in the higher colleges and universities. NTA is there do manage and handle this important job of their admission in higher institutions. The context in which the NTA has to do this job in India are the following:

(i)   The level of honesty of our students and their parents are not very high. They prefer to spend money for getting things, than to work honestly for the same.  

(ii)   There are lots of middlemen working as link-men in between corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. Education department is quite alluring for them. Their ‘illegal relatives’ are those in the coaching centres.  

(iii) The honesty-level of the employees NTA are not that high.  

(iv) There are ‘limitations’ in the computer programs we use in India.

(v)   The foreign crooks, who devise ‘dark programs can easily send those in India, even though they cannot do the same in the developed countries. Also these are programs (like, Telegram) who do not entertain any government inquiry.

We know India has absolutely no strength to stop this malpractice. In case the stop ‘Dark Web’, there will reappear numerous Darker Webs, Quick Telegram etc.

We strongly feel, in the above context, the NTA should have prepared their ‘modus operandi’ much more intelligently, which they did not. 

PROBLEM 05: NTA’S CURRENT MODE OF ACTION THAT GENERATED AND NOURISHED CORRUPTION:

NTA was given the duty of managing admission of the college-pass students to the universities. They were aware that these students read in schools for long ten years, where they passed many examinations and got the final mark sheet. Then they read two years in college and passed the final examination. The level of these students can now be judged mostly by the two mark-sheets.

The NTA could find out a practical way to make their comparative judgement on the basis of these mark-sheets. In place of doing that they planned to further ‘educate’ them through some days to some years in costly ‘coaching centres’, then to appear in the art of ‘blacken the hole’. They thought they can find out the better student through the ‘choose the correct answer’ process of examination. We all know ‘it is not’.

The NTA discovered they did not have the requisite of examination centres, so they hired thousands of digital computer centres, printed millions of OMR (Optical Mark Reader) sheets, arranged to read those, they arranged many printing presses, hundreds of transport vehicles and thousands of personnel to work for them. The possibility was there with every personnel they used. The crooks outside arranged items like link-men, agents, collectors, Dark Web, Telegram etc.” What was the net result of all these? We got numerous NET, NEET-type examinations, most of whose results were not true. The intelligent boys were deprived and a ‘fool’ got ‘agents with question and answer’ right in his house the previous night.  

OUR NEW PROPOSAL FOR REFORMATION :

As per our Proposal, the ‘Authority’ would prepare the following:

(01) RANK LIST for general admission in colleges.

(02) MERIT LIST-01 for admission in Engineering College.

(03) MERIT LIST-02 for admission in Medical College.

(04) MERIT LIST-03 for admission in Dental College.

(05) MERIT-LIST-04 for Higher General Education in Universities and higher institutes.  

(01) RANK LIST FOR GENERAL ADMISSION IN COLLEGES.

The RANK-LIST for general education will first make computer copy (may be PDF copy) and then Printed Volume for various subjects like, Science, Arts, Commerce etc. Each volume shall contain the following information:

     

      Name, Roll and other particulars of the student, (i) Per cent of marks obtained in all subjects in the college Final Examination, Summation of all the (%) marks obtained. (ii) Per cent of marks obtained in all subjects in the School Final Examination, Summation of all the (%) marks obtained (iii) Summation of the TOTAL MARKS of the above two examinations.

      After the above information have been arranged, the computer shall arrange the list on the basis of marks in A to Z, where A will be highest mark. The Rank of the students will be decided on the basis of this marks. The RANK (volumes) will be printed and sold to the students, such that they can easily see their results in place and time, where there is no internet.

PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION FROM THE RANK LIST (in general colleges). 

    Admission in the general college of the state would take place in two phases. In the first phase they would admit the students of their own state.  They would ask the students to enrol for admission with a token money (say, Rupees 100.00) till certain date.

    After this date they would admit students from other states, or old students. Since this admission is being done from Rank list, and not from any ‘Merit list’, the college authorities would have to abide by the country’s rule of ‘Reservation quota” (i.e. Scheduled Castes (15%), Scheduled Tribes (7.5%), and Other Backward Classes (27%) etc. However, in order to maintain the purity of the term, international norms and universal human rights, No RESERVATION shall be followed in any MERIT LIST.  

(02) MERIT LIST-02 FOR ENGINEERING COLLEGE:

      It will be a Volume containing only the names and particulars of the students who would get (a) 80% and above in Engineering related subjects, (b) 70% and above in Mother tongue and English, (c) 50% and above in other subjects. Merit list will be prepared on the basis of Total marks.

(04) MERIT LIST-03 FOR MEDICAL COLLEGE:

      It will be a Volume containing the names and particulars of the students who would get (a) 70% and above in Medical related subjects, (b) 60% and above in Mother tongue and English, (c) and above 50% in other subjects. Merit list will be prepared on the basis of Total marks.

(05) MERIT LIST-04 FOR DENTAL COLLEGE:

       It will be a Volume containing the names and particulars of students who would get (a) 60% and above in Medical related subjects, (b) and above 60% in Mother tongue and English, (c) 50% and above in other subjects. Merit list will be prepared on the basis of Total marks.                       

(06) MERIT-LIST for Higher General Education (viz. Arts, Science, Commerce, Business etc.).

      This one will be a volume containing particulars of the students who would get (a) 70% and above in the subject of Choice, (b) 50% and above in Mother tongue and English, (c) 40% and above in other subjects. Merit list will be prepared on the basis of Total marks.

RANKING THE HIGHER INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITIES:

The ‘Authority’ shall enrol all prestigious government recognized higher institutions (Engineering, Medical, Dental colleges) and Universities. Then those will be RANKED under indecent categories. Rank value will be found out by “Adding all marks of the Bachelor level passed-out students in one particular year’, (say, in 2024) divided by the number of students. These number when arranged in A to Z order shall give the Rank List.

PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITIES:

Immediately after the students would get the printed LISTS, the Authority shall arrange top publish the following:

(i) Ranks of the higher institutions and Universities,

(ii) Available seats in each and

(iii) Dates for admissions.

The admission will be made strictly on the basis of Merit. 10% seats will be kept reserved in Medical, Engineering and Dental colleges for the foreigners. Similarly, 10% seats will be kept reserved for in the universities for students from other States and Foreigners.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSAL ON THE PART OF THE CANDIDATES:

    After a college-pass student gets the information like those published in the Rank List and Merit list, Ranking of Higher Institutions and Universities, vacant seats in each of them, dates of admission etc., it would be possible for them to find out by themselves, where they can get admitted. This would save a lot of money, time and other expenses. Also, they would not have to spend anything for purchasing guide books, reading in coaching centres, appearing in selected testing-centres etc.  

    LESS EXPENSE AND WORKING EFFICIENCY FOR THE AUTHORITIES:  The proposal described above will less-expensive, workable with efficiency and safe for the Authority. They would no more would have to hire the services of the computer centres, printers, transporters etc.

    There will remains zero possibility of leaking questions, which is getting so stronger in the age due to Dark-webs, Telegram etc. It may be mentioned that the fathers of such Dark-webs’ hail from the developed countries, such that those government can control them. Needless to mention that India would never achieve that privilege.

    DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS: We believe, in case the results of two final examinations of the students are used efficiently and intelligently, then on one part there will be no injustice on the students. We believe knowledge of the students earned in their schools and colleges is superior to their transitory knowledge, that they may earn in few days or months in the coaching centres.

    NO POSSIBILITY OF LEAKAGE: We believe, there is absolutely no Leakage possibility in the proposed system.

FINAL WORDS ABOUT OUR PROPOSAL:

Various countries endeavour to solve and manage their problems in their own ways, depending on their provisions, scopes and limitations. We believe, there remained gross problems in ‘NTA’s working procedure, where they cared little for the honesty-level of their own and other people, limitations of the computer programs, expenditures on the part of a country, India, hazards happening in the outside world etc. They probably thought, they can do nothing excepting blindly following the instances of other countries.

In our proposal we endeavored to perform the job intelligently in order to make things inexpensive and safe. However, we had our limitations, we collected information from secondary or tertiary sources with the obvious possibility of deviation. While ascertaining various magnitudes (like, %, number etc.) we used our own consideration, where we know, the experts can do give much better output.

We request the Government, specially our Prime Minister and Education Minister to solve the problem in the ever-best way. With this, we also request them to review the situation of our School and College education. We have seen the recently introduced New Education Policy (NEP) of 2023-2024.   We are sorry to mention that we did not find any reason to become happy with this one.

Bijon B. Sarma

THE END