Kerala assembly seeks reform of national exam system

Thiruvananthapuram: The state assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding that the Centre take urgent and effective measures to comprehensively reform the national examination system, including NEET-UG, and protect the constitutional rights of students, ensure equal opportunity and fully restore the credibility, transparency and impartiality of national entrance examinations.The resolution was moved by higher education minister Roji M John under Rule 118. Considering that education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and respecting the basic principles of the federal system, it is essential to have an effective mechanism to appropriately consider the opinions and suggestions of state govts while taking policy decisions related to national entrance examinations, it said.The minister said the resolution was presented in the House at a time when the credibility, transparency and impartiality of the examination system were being questioned due to question paper leaks reported from various parts of the country during the conduct of the NEET examination, irregularities in its conduct, administrative and technical failures at examination centres, and shortcomings in marking and result declaration.

John said there were at least 30 student suicides allegedly linked to irregularities in the conduct of the examination last year and 14 this year, besides repeated instances of paper leaks ever since the National Testing Agency (NTA) began conducting the examination.“It is extremely unfortunate that the credibility of an extremely important national entrance examination, which determines the higher education dreams and future lives of lakhs of students in the country, is being repeatedly questioned, and that the complaints, investigations and court interventions that continuously arise in connection with the conduct of the examination have created widespread anxiety and distrust in society.

.. The approach of Central govt and the related central agencies, which failed to recognise the seriousness of the grave failures and irregularities in the conduct of the examination in a timely manner and to take effective corrective measures even after they came to light, is condemnable,” the resolution said.Welcoming the resolution, CPM MLA K Premkumar said the assembly had brought the irregularities in the conduct of NEET to the Centre’s attention in 2024.

Congress’s Aryadan Shoukath alleged that leaders of the ruling party at the Centre were behind the irregularities and urged Union govt to monitor the mushrooming coaching centres which, he claimed, were part of a “mafia” behind the paper leaks.On the other hand, BJP MLA V Muraleedharan said NEET was first introduced under UPA govt in 2010 and that the first examination, conducted in 2013, was quashed by Supreme Court.

He also contended that the lapses in this year’s examination were due to the actions of some NTA officials and that Union govt had taken corrective measures by conducting a re-examination. The BJP MLA sought an amendment to the resolution to include appreciation for central govt.However, all the amendments proposed by CPM, Congress and BJP MLAs were rejected by the House, which passed the resolution by a voice vote. Despite the rejection of his proposed amendment, Muraleedharan continued to raise the issue in the House, prompting speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to tell him that he could submit his views to the Chair in writing later. — With agency inputs