NEET-UG 2024 row spark calls for exam security overhaul by students, educators

In 2024, two of India's most important admission exams, the National Eligibility and Admission Test (NEET) and the National Eligibility Test (NET) were embroiled in major controversy, sparking huge protests and calls for re-examination. The NEET-UG 2024 crisis broke out with suspicions of question paper leaks, an unusual number of toppers, a contentious decision to grant grace marks, and accusations of political meddling. Despite the National Testing Agency's (NTA) denial of these charges, the situation sparked widespread outrage among students and their parents, who demanded a comprehensive investigation and re-conduct of the exam to assure fairness.

The UGC-NET June 2024 exam was abruptly cancelled when the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) issued an alert about a suspected security compromise. Investigations found that the exam's question paper had been leaked on the Darknet, jeopardising the test's integrity and causing great pain to lakhs of hopefuls who had assiduously prepared. This incident highlighted online exam security methods and system vulnerabilities, prompting a rethinking of how such vital assessments are safeguarded.

The NEET and NET scandals of 2024 highlighted systemic issues within India's examination processes, eroding public trust in the NTA and exposing severe security flaws. The controversies brought immense mental stress and uncertainty to affected students and became a political tool, further complicating efforts to resolve the issues.

We spoke to educators, and students to gather their insights on the current state of exam security and explore potential solutions to enhance the integrity of these assessments.

The one thing involved parties noted that although there are security measures in place, there is room for improvement.

Educator Speak

Alok Dixit, the General Secretary of the Coaching Federation of India, speaking to mid-day.com said that the number of students who are sceptical of appearing for these tests and said that currently across India, only 40 per cent of students are opting to appear for these exams.

He added that members of CFI, which operates in 25 states across India including Maharashtra, have also seen a drop in the number of students wanting to appear for the competitive examinations like NEET or NET.

"Indian Institute of Technology's major paper leak incident happened in 1997 which was the only one such a huge magnitude. Since then the IIT entrance exam process has undergone a major overhaul and reports of the question paper leaks of large-scale magnitude have not resurfaced," said Dixit and proposed that the National Testing Agency follow a similar pattern and conduct the examination in two sessions.

Dixit said, "Much before the government brought in NEET and respective states would be conducting an entrance test, issues of paper leaks still plagued the examination. NEET was proposed in 2013 and it took until 2018 to implement it. However, there are loopholes within the system that are exploited. I propose that exams like NEET be conducted in two phases- pre and mains. Whoever scores over 400 in NEET-pre should undergo the mains and this examination should be conducted by another agency like the National Board of Examination."

When asked about the challenges the educators face amidst the concerns over the security of examination, Dixit noted that several students need to be counselled for the controversies that have instilled fear because of the controversies.

"One of my students' guardians approached me seeking counselling for his ward because she was so scared of taking the entrance test due to the controversies. The student, who hails from Uttarakhand, had ranked first in her state. We have seen similar requests pour in and the guardians request us to also train them for alternative examinations," he noted.

Dixit opined that one of the challenges presently concerns him is that the examination is relatively easier and not as competitive as it was pre-Covid.

"Amid the pandemic, the examination papers were made a little easier for students and it has continued until now. If the examination papers are set according to the stricter standards upheld in 2019, it should also help bring the cut-off down. Many students have been feeling the pressure since earlier a student who has scored 615 out of 720 could get into government medical schools but today, one needs at least 650," he added.

Students Speak

When asked about her opinion on whether entrance exams are conducted fairly and securely, a UGC-NET aspirant based in Thane told mid-day.com that she has noticed increased vigil after a scam is exposed but there's a scope to improve.

"I have been appearing for the UGC-NET exam for about a year and a half, and I have noticed tighter management after a scam was exposed. Invigilators are stricter with washroom breaks and gaps between papers. Though supervision is stricter, it would be helpful if supervisors were more aware of the technicalities of the papers. For example, they should know about signing within the box, informing students not to overwrite, etc. These details are crucial for tracking and ensuring the authenticity of each student's paper. Alert and knowledgeable supervisors are mandatory," the Thane resident stated.

Speaking about the challenges faced during the examination, she highlighted, "Before the offline test in June 2024, the computer-based test faced many technical issues, particularly with the UX design. Although students were ready to submit their papers, computers would crash or hang frequently. This led to frustration and disappointment, as the smooth operation of the computer became a measure of their hard work, regardless of their study efforts."

Meanwhile, Arya Bennett', another student who appeared for the JEE examination-which is conducted by both NTA and other IITs based on rotation-noted that since their test are computer-based tests, they are relatively secure.

When asked the Mumbai-based student, he noted that the students feel discouraged if others get better ranks in their examinations by cheating. He said that news of paper leaks and other scams does mentally affect students.

"A controversy had broken out concerning JEE Mains this year over the issues in the calculation of percentile and the normalisation process," the student who cleared his JEE said.

What Next?

When asked about what technological advancements could be used, and whether computer-based testing was the solution for the future, Dixit responded that there are concerns over CBT-based tests as well.

"When agencies like NTA or NBE have to conduct examinations, more agencies get involved. Most of the CBT examination in India is conducted by TCS; however, multiple other brands have entered the market offering these services. The government will have to have a thorough plan and means to mitigate the issues arising from the CBT exams," he noted.

Meanwhile, Bennett said that to combat issues, test-conducting agencies should consider switching to computer-based examination facilities. He noted that a major issue he kept hearing about NEET 2024 was the discrepancy in the timing when a student began the examination and called for the rectification of it.

"I understand that the officials are also under pressure while conducting a test on such a big magnitude; however, the security needs enhancement. I believe computer-based testing becomes more feasible. Secondly, the testing agency should not have objective questions or have questions with multiple right outcomes to minimise cheating. They could also have questions based on numerical," Bennett said and added that akin to the JEE examination, the testing agency should make it mandatory that everyone will get the same amount of time to complete the papers and submit them together. He believes it is fair for all.

"Aside from making admittance mandatory with identity cards (PAN or Aadhaar Card), I believe a clothing code for students would be useful. It has the potential to avert numerous unintended benefits. A thorough examination of students before they enter their assigned classes, as well as a formal decorum on the part of the staff, may improve the situation. Providing basics like pens, water bottles, and thumb impressions at the centre rather than asking students to carry their own would be beneficial. A uniform clothing code may prevent cheating at exam centres," the NET aspirant answered when asked about what changes would she like to make.

The NTA could likely introduce different question papers for those in different shifts, she suggested.