Dr I John Mohan Razu
Professor of Social Ethics
Education is important for the future of any country/society. It is supposed to be the important ministry when compared to others because the future of the country is closely associated with this especially higher and professional education such as MBBS, MS, MD. But it is unfortunate that those who head the ministry hardly understand what is education all about; the minds and psychology of the students; the future of the students who are going to lead the country by taking up important areas of leaderships.
Education can be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitively. For example, the number of colleges and universities, budget allocated for higher education, the number of students passed out each year from these institutions and so on. All these would be part of quantifications, but when we enter into qualitative analysis some of the common yardsticks applied are: has it created critical awareness and enhanced creative applications; enhanced professionalism and enhanced horizons of understanding connecting the micro-macro realities and so on.
NEET examination conducted by the Union Ministry of education, Govt of India, has ripped open the innate contradictions showing gaps and holes in its administration and application. NEET is known for high costs, poor infra, scams, and unrealistic demands thereby putting the MBBS, MS and MD in dire straits. Known for conducting retest this year—2026 which is relatively not a small number—about 20 lakhs. The fiasco over NEET has pushed the students to challenge the centralised admission process which some of the state governments like Tamil Nadu argues NEET quality of MBBS and when Tamil Nadu controlled medical program.
Centralising NEET means controlling the most wanted discipline—professional education like medicine. It is in the hands of the central government. Admission process at surface levels seems to be tough and comprehensive, but while delivery system has lots of problems. The ills of medical education are many, and the issues chronic, as the framework itself is the problem. No one knows where to start and how to go about. NEET is chaotic. In all these, the coaching industry is getting monopolised and thus controls it. Though there is such a rush for admission in government medical colleges, the infrastructures are very poor.
Though the private medical offer better, the fee structure is so high on an average between Rs.45 and 55 lakhs. Whereas in the government medical colleges it is reasonable. NRI seats can go up to Rs. 1.4 crores for a 4–5-year MBBS course. A six-year MBBS course in Ukraine, Russia or China costs about Rs.35 Lakhs Therefore, what the entire system of medical examination and its paraphernalia reflects the following: poor administration system, sleazing huge moneys from those aspirants of becoming doctors who in turn get poor quality of MBBS degrees.
Earlier we have come across that NEET-PG administrators managed the unthinkable the qualifying cut-off fell to zero, reflecting the extremely poor performance of MBBS graduates. How could candidates, all MBBS graduates, unable to score even 30-35% on an MBBS-Based entrance test, be considered for specialist training? A low cut-off means lower-ranked, affluent students obtain seats, at the cost-offhigher scoring but less affluent ones.What happens to the ‘merit’ argument? Maintaining a higher cut-off can, in fact, force private colleges to reduce fees to fill up seats. But that doesn’t happen. Why?
The actual picture of the system of medicine and all that enjoined with it show poor management, power, money, and authority. The Government at the Centre is using NEET as its power play with the students, opposition, and civil society. They are the futures of India and the world. Suppressing their voices and demands by the ruling regime leads to far-fetched consequences. If we look at the demands and supply of aspirants for medicine is highly volatile and topsy-Turvey. Those who are genuinely want to become doctors of medicine and surgery to serve therural poor who suffer without any basic medical facilities.
Contrary to the aims and objectives, due to more demand to MBBS and so, the government at the Centre has made it as a business—laxity and creating hype. Merit hardly counts in NEET. The Government at the Centre claims that it has brought fairness, merit, transparency and accountability to medical system. None of these manifest as we come across leakages and mal-practices in the system. As long as health and ill-health continue rush to MBBS, MS, MD, continues to remainand so it is a growing industry with high stakes. It is not going to shrink, instead to grow as in Urban India, MBBS, MS, and MD are enjoined with high status.
NEET enjoys both in the public and private sectors as long as there is more demand and less supply—which is artificially created. By and large, many of the aspirants think that it is lucrative having high stakes compared to other disciplines. In reality, one a few get on to the top as surgeons and physicians. A tiny percentage wants to serve the poor and the vulnerable in the name of ‘service’ get into MBBS, but those who are rich just want to get the degree and with their moneys start hospitals or continue to run their parents’ hospitals minting money.
MBBS is a lucrative business and those who control keep becoming richer and richer.There are doctors with MBBS work for Rs. 15,00020,000. The primary objective of Modi’s government to centralising MBBS and PG courses is to control and allowing his stooges to make money. Shamelessly the education minister at the Centre who should have resigned but sitting. The demonstrations of students in New Delhi are so mammoth which the capital of India witnessed in the last few days—thousands and lakhs organised by the Cockroach Janata Party asking PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, and EM to resign.
After the farmers’ protests, this one is the second largest protest being propelled by the students. It has paralysed the Winter Session of the parliament where the opposition parties up on the heelsshouting and protesting in front of PM house. The students want to march and protest in front of the parliament. It is sending heatwaves to the ruling regime. Students power if not properly addressed, would lead to colossal implications. As Oscar Wilde rightly pointed out that “Examinations, Sir, are pure humbug from the beginning to the end”. NEET is of course a humbug set-up, filled with all sorts of manipulations and cronyism.
