HT Poll | Should NTA continue to be the conducting agency for NEET? Here's how people responded

Students, parents, and stakeholders across the country are furious over the recent developments with the cancellation and postponement of competitive exams like NEET UG, UGC NET and CSIR UGC NET that are being conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Wednesday staged protests demanding the scrapping of the NTA and the resignation of the Union Education Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling for an immediate resolution of the concerns. The opposition has demanded to scrap the testing agency following reports of irregularities in the conduct of the examinations.

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Hindustan Times conducted a poll to know the public opinion on whether NTA should continue to be the conducting agency for NEET. Here are the results.

A total of 857 people have participated in our poll of which 18% (156) feel that NTA should continue as the conducting agency for NEET. 77% (663) of the people have the opinion that NTA should not continue as the conducting agency for NEET. Meanwhile, 4% (38) of the participants are unsure if NTA should continue as the agency to conduct NEET.

Meanwhile, a seven-member panel headed by K Radhakrishnan, who has served as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, will give its recommendations to the education ministry within the next 2 months on the reform in the mechanism of the examination process, improvement in data security protocols, and structure and functioning of the NTA.

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As a part of the review, the panel aims to reach out to the students and parents to understand their concerns and ask for suggestions that could help improve and instill a tamper-proof system for entrance examinations in the country.

According to Raj Vardhan Dixit, the OSD Chairman of Noida International Institute of Medical Science (NIIMS) College and Hospital, reorganising the National Testing Agency may actually be advantageous. “This could include increasing transparency, streamlining operations, and adopting sophisticated technology for efficiency. The stakeholder involvement and feedback channels should be reinforced to ensure alignment with healthcare requirements,” he said.

Likewise, Gaurav Tyagi, Founder of Career Xpert, stated that restructuring the NTA can boost its efficiency and credibility. “The restructuring may include increasing transparency in test administration, enforcing tougher anti-cheating procedures, and improving the dispute justice process,” Tyagi said.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the central government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET and UGC NET examinations by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The assembly also demanded the central government take immediate action to relieve the fear and anxiety of lakhs of students and parents waiting for medical admission.

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