West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and advocating for the restoration of the previous system, where state governments conducted the examination.
"I am constrained to write to you regarding the recent developments involving the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Examination. The allegations of paper leaks, taking bribes by certain people and the officials involved in the conduct of the examinations, the opening of windows to accommodate certain students to apply for examinations, grace marks, etc. are some of the serious issues that need complete attention and require a thorough, clean and impartial probe. Such instances jeopardise the careers and aspirations of lakhs and lakhs of students who look forward to getting admission into these medical courses," the CM wrote.
"Such instances not only compromise the quality of medical education in the country but adversely affect the quality of medical facilities and treatment in the country. In this regard, this is also to point out that before 2017, the states were allowed to conduct their own entrance examinations, and the central government also used to conduct its examinations for admission into medical courses. This system was functioning smoothly and without many problems. This was better attuned to the regional curricula and educational standards. The state government usually spends more than Rs. 50 lakh per doctor on education and internships. Therefore, the state should be given the freedom to select medical students through the Joint Entrance Examination," she wrote further.
In her letter, the Chief Minister highlighted that the previously decentralized system was replaced by the unitary and centralized NEET examination, giving the central government complete control over medical admissions across the country, without state government involvement. She asserted that this change is "completely unacceptable and violates the true spirit of the federal structure of the country." Additionally, she pointed out that the current system has led to massive corruption, benefiting only the wealthy who can afford to pay, while meritorious students from poor and middle-class backgrounds suffer and become the biggest victims.