NEET 2024 Controversies Highlight Need for Change in Medical Entrance Exam
By Lalit Kumar
IIT Bombay Alumnus
Pune, 11th January 2025: NEET, a crucial examination for admission to India’s top medical colleges, has faced criticism recently due to execution issues. The 2024 exam was especially problematic, marked by logistical challenges, errors, and cheating allegations. The National Testing Agency (NTA) attempted damage control by awarding bonus marks and conducting re-examinations for a few students, adding significant randomness to the process. These measures made a fair selection impossible, leaving many students disheartened and frustrated.
The vast scale of NEET, with nearly 25 lakh students appearing annually, presents a significant challenge for the NTA in ensuring fairness and transparency. This has led to issues such as inadequate invigilation and logistical lapses. To address this, NEET may adopt a two-phase system, with a Screening exam as the first phase and NEET as the second. The Screening exam would be taken by all 25 lakh students and serve as a qualifying round to filter top candidates, who would then be eligible to appear for the second phase of NEET. Admissions to top medical colleges would be based solely on performance in the second phase. This proposal is reportedly under discussion at the ministry, according to sources.
The two-phase model offers significant advantages. Conducting the second phase for 2-3 lakh students, instead of 25 lakh, would enable the NTA to ensure better control, improved logistics, and fairer invigilation. Another major advantage of this two-phase exam is that more challenging questions can be included in the second phase. Currently, NEET questions are too basic, enabling even weaker students to score well, which prevents top talent from showcasing their exclusivity. The low standard of the exam is evident from the fact that more than 2,300 students scored 700+ out of 720, and 67 students achieved a perfect 720, making it impossible to identify the true topper. A more rigorous Advanced phase would effectively segregate exceptional talent, ensuring that the most deserving students secure seats in top medical colleges.
A two-phase model is not new to Indian competitive exams, as seen in JEE, which successfully selects students for IITs through a higher-level Advanced exam. This system ensures only the best candidates are admitted, contributing to the global success of IIT graduates. Adopting a similar structure for NEET could transform India’s medical entrance process, restoring trust and improving the quality of medical education. As the Ministry of Education and NTA deliberate, a two-phase NEET could become a turning point, ensuring excellence and fairness in selecting future doctors and advancing healthcare in India.
About The Author: Lalit Kumar, the visionary founder of Prime Academy Pune, has an illustrious teaching career spanning 21 years, during which he has mentored over 3,000 IITians. A B.Tech graduate in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay, Lalit achieved a remarkable milestone early in his career by becoming one of the youngest authors of an IEEE publication, presenting his groundbreaking technical paper on “Power Distribution and Automation” in 2001. Beyond academics, he has profoundly impacted the lives of hundreds of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, helping shape their careers. His unwavering dedication and contributions to education have been recognized by the government.
