Health Minister J P Nadda defended the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on Friday, amid scrutiny over paper leak cases. Nadda emphasized that before NEET’s introduction, medical education had become an open business, with postgraduate (PG) seats being sold for exorbitant amounts.
Intervening during a discussion on a private member resolution by DMK member M Mohmed Abdulla in Rajya Sabha, Nadda described the corruption prevalent in medical education prior to NEET. “Medical education had become a ‘business ka adda’ (den). When I was health minister and was bringing NEET, one seat of post graduation was sold for Rs 8 crore each, and if you had to opt for a discipline like radiology, then it was Rs 12-13 crore,” Nadda said.
Nadda explained that before NEET, students had to travel across the country for various medical entrance exams, facing not only financial and time burdens but also widespread corruption in the admission process. He detailed how admission lists were manipulated, claiming that NEET has significantly curbed these corrupt practices.
The number of cities where NEET exams are conducted has increased from 154 to 571, and examination centres have risen from 2,546 to 4,750 since 2019. Nadda highlighted that the number of students from various social categories qualifying for NEET has also seen significant increases between 2019 and 2024: economically weaker sections (102%), Scheduled Tribes (93.5%), Scheduled Castes (78.8%), and Other Backward Classes (65%).
Additionally, Nadda noted that NEET is now conducted in 13 languages, making medical education more accessible to students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. He pointed out that 17 perfect scores in NEET-UG this year came from states across India, including Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Responding to opposition criticism, Congress member Syed Naseer Hussain acknowledged that NEET was initially recommended by the Congress government but called for its scrapping due to paper leaks. Hussain argued that NEET facilitates a specific section of students and criticized the National Testing Agency (NTA) for outsourcing exams. He suggested forming a joint committee of both houses of Parliament to address the existing loopholes in NEET.
Hussain also highlighted the rise of the coaching industry, projecting its growth to Rs 1,38,000 crore by 2028, and raised concerns about malpractice among doctors who qualified through NEET. He called for improvements to the examination system rather than levelling allegations.
The NEET 2024, conducted on May 5, has faced allegations of paper leaks, with the Supreme Court acknowledging serious concerns about the NTA’s organization of the exam this year.
