After corruption in NEET-UG came to light after the results for 2024 were announced and the CBI arrested individuals linked with the scam, students and doctors have been protesting on the streets. They are demanding the arrest of culprits and disbanding the NTA (National Testing Agency), which conducts the exam. Another exam, conducted by NTA, NET (National Eligibility Test) also is now under the lens for charges of corruption.

Dr Biplab Chanda, state committee secretary of Medical Service Centre, along with other members of the NGO recently submitted a deputation to the Governor CV Ananda Bose on the corruption in NEET-UG and PG exams.

The members said that the West Bengal Joint Entrance exam was last held in 2016, which showed that there was rampant corruption, which led to centrally controlled NEET. “We are noticing that financially weaker students are no longer getting through the exam or able to appear for the exam. Also, this year we have come across cases where just a day before the exam was held, paper was leaked. We believe justice delayed is justice denied. We want an investigation by a sitting judge and not by the CBI. It is wise if a select body of people with medical profession and judges with a clean record, conduct the exam,” said a member of the Medical Service Centre.

“We do not think it is wise to cancel the exam. There are many students who are genuine. It becomes very difficult for a student to appear for the same exam twice. We are saying that with the help of technology, we can identify the students who used unfair means,” said Dr Chanda.

Kanu Mondal, who completed his MA from Rabindra Bharati University had appeared for the NET exam in June, suffered as the exam was cancelled later by the NTA.

He, along with four other examinees had also been to the Governor House to submit a deputation as part of Students and Scholars Against NET Scam, after collecting 500 signatures online.

The NET examinees said that they are living in total confusion as there has been no clarification from the agency if the students will have to reappear for the exam and if they will need to fill forms anew. “Filling forms again would mean spending Rs 1,200 for the form again. If the NTA will club us with the students, who will appear for the exam in December. We are staring at the darkness. This also causes mental agony and further leads to depression,” said Kanu Mondal.

Around 9 lakh students sat for the NET exam in June.

Dr Soumyadip Roy, AIDSO state committee member, who also is protesting against the corruption in NEET says during the WBJEE days, the syllabus was such that a student could prepare for the medical exam while preparing for state board but now unless one goes to a coaching centre, it is difficult to crack the NEET. He says it has become impossible for an economically weaker student to prepare for NEET.

The leak and the subsequent developments this year has shown that the racket is active for many years and it is deep-rooted.

One of the NEET examinees this year, Arunagshu (name changed) said just a day before the exam, 4 June, he got a message on his Telegram account with a PDF file of the question attached to it. The message said that the PDF file is password protected and if he paid a certain amount, the file will be unlocked. He said two of his other friends too got similar messages.

Arunagshu said, “I did not know if the message was a scam or genuine as I did not pay the money and switched off my phone. The link and the channel both were not there when I checked again, a day after the exam.”