As students, we dread examinations, and just wish that they never existed. Thoughts of paper leaks and cancellation of examinations revolve in our heads until reality hits us. And it hits us hard. Now, how about getting rid of the several examinations we prepare for, and bringing it down to just one. Sounds like a fair middle ground?
Well, that is the entire idea behind introducing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). It does have other implications, but the main objective is to standardise medical entrances and reduce the number of entrance exams medical aspirants have to face.
The NEET would have been welcomed with open arms by the state and central governments, and most importantly, by the real stakeholders – the students, if and only if, the Supreme Court had timed the order well in advance.
What is the NEET issue?
On a fine morning of the eleventh day of April, the Supreme Court woke up from a deep slumber and decided to rectify a mistake it had made three years ago, and thrash its judgement, just a month before the entrance exams, for which many had been preparing for almost two years.
Now, in a country known for its diversity, a standardised exam seemed a little unacceptable. For years, states and private universities have conducted their own entrance exams. The country conducts over 70 entrance tests, JUST FOR MEDICINE. The NEET is to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE); hence, issues of language and syllabus rose, which one may consider being logical.
Like any Bollywood drama, the dreams of these medical aspirants seemed to crush before their eyes. They were like the helpless heroine who would have to accept the decision, whether they liked it or not. The Supreme Court seemed like the villain, and the Cabinet at the Centre, their hero. In the movies, when the hero seems to lose to the villain, he usually comes out with a secret weapon or a sudden superpower, and in this case, it was the ordinance.
The ordinance, if passed by the President would ‘partially’ overturn the Supreme Court’s order to conduct NEET for admission into government, private and deemed universities across the country, and postpone it by a year.
Would the Ordinance REALLY help?
For students who are sure to get into a government aided medical college, the ordinance would be a boon. While, for others it wouldn’t really make a difference. Let’s just try to understand the use of the ordinance (if any) in the first place.
Fact 1- The Supreme Court’s judgement made it compulsory for all medical aspirants to appear for the NEET, invariably of the education board they belonged to.
Fact 2 – The Ordinance only exempts the State Government Colleges, which means, those aspiring to get into any private university, will still have to appear for NEET.
Fact 3 – The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, JP Nadda, has clearly stated that the NEET has been implemented. Its first phase has been executed on 1st May 2016, and inevitably, the second phase will also be conducted on 24th July 2016.
Fact 4 – To all the medical aspirants out there, welcome to the real world, it sucks! Postponing the NEET is not going to be of any help to you. You will be appearing for your entrances THIS YEAR and it is not like the ordinance is taking you back to the old system. It is just going to give you a slight relief, probably. You will still have to deal with the change in the syllabus, slog the regular 6-8 hours a day, and appear for the exam. Yes, it is a lot of pressure, but you got to do, what you got to do.
Consider this to be an experiment, where you are the specimen, and Darwin’s rule of ‘survival of the fittest’ is completely applicable. Our Scientist, the government, is probably going to throw the wrong chemicals at you, assimilate to the situation and make your way through.
All the Best!
We all know that our education system needs to be treated at the earliest. To know more read
The Ailing Indian Education System: A Diagnosis
