NEET, heal thyself

This year, the NEET exam has been an utter and complete disaster. 67 candidates miraculously achieved a perfect score of 720, when hardly 2 or 3 had done so in previous years. Exam centre ghotala, grace marks ghotala and now, news of a paper leak (going rate - Rs 30 lakh).

While court cases have been filed, the powers-that-be have ruled out a retest.?This begs the question: do they know what is really at stake? 24 lakh students have burned the midnight oil, yaane ki, jee-jaan se mehnat kar ke, ek pareeksha di. Very very few will get admission but that’s okay. Life is like that.

What’s not okay is that exam hi ek dhokha hai. Because despite all its problems, the one thing India has been able to give its youth is Hope.

TV bandh karo, padhaai karo. Girlfriend na banao, future banao.

If you study well, you have a fighting chance to make it in life. There is a legitimate route out of the dungeon our parents live in. Isi ummeed par desh ki janta tiki hui hai.

Every gali-koocha of this country is plastered with coaching centres. Bank P.O., IAS, IIT, IIM, CA and medical – these are the choices. Fail once, try again. Fail a second time, try a third time. ?There is no shame in declaring maine drop liya hai, XYZ ki taiyyari kar raha hoon.

While many decry the pressure that entrance exams put on students I would argue that, at a societal level, they serve an important purpose. Simmering discontent with scarce opportunities is contained in the name of fair competition. We all ran the race, some were more gifted, they ran faster, they won.

The mystique of IITs and IIMs is largely built on its intake. It is a matter of pride that an Ambani or Adani can send their kid to a Harvard or Yale, yahaan seat nahin milegi. Aur to aur, the offspring of professors who set these exams have not got back-door entry. This no-nepotism policy is unparalleled not just in India, but in the world.

It may not be perfect, but the system has delivered. Despite ever-increasing reservations, the average student kept the faith, the motivation to slog. In order to achieve a dream. Without that hope, where will youthful angst and energy be directed? Not towards anything productive, I assure you.

NTA, remove this stain. Safed coat ki izzat ka sawaal hai!