Confusion on JEE & NEET examinations

Conducting of two prestigious national entrance examinations i.e., JEE & NEET in the country in the present situation of COVID-19 pandemic when virus infected cases have reached to more than 75000 per day with causalities to the tune of more than 1000 per day, has become a bone of contention between National Testing Agency (NTA), Government of India, opposition political parties, Chief ministers of different states, Intellectuals, students and their parents.

Entrance examinations involving about fifteen lakh students are taken so seriously by the planners that if this process will not happen for a year then the whole career process in particular and education system in general will face an unrecoverable loss.

People adamant to go ahead with examinations are giving data in their support like downloading of admit cards by maximum number of candidates, people (students and parents), intellectuals approaching the authorities. It is highly unwise to think that a student who has applied for entrance test will not download his admit card and boycott the entrance examination.

In the pandemic time, students who are to appear in these examinations have already taken a liberal route to pass their annual 10+2 examinations. These annual examinations were also debated to be held offline/online and then ultimately students were allowed to pass on the basis of already (before pandemic times) completed examinations and taking other parameters of evaluations.

Pass percentage of maximum school boards have dramatically increased along with highest scores scored this time by students. Such high scoring and pass percentage have almost become the hall mark of present education system with in few decades. Reasons given are protect students from undue stress and depression.

Now, we are not believing these scores and are adamant to conduct entrance examinations even in at high risk of pandemic at present because with these engineers and doctors for this year if produced having entry based on merit of 10+2, our engineering and medical sectors will lose their shine and glory.

With left over engineers and doctors in India (as most of them make their way for green pastures in foreign countries), we are already facing problems with low standard engineering construction and development at every level as most of the building, bridges and roads, factories are giving way just after competition or sometimes during construction only.

On the other hand, we are not able to manufacture any engineering product on which India can boost off like developed nations. In the field of medicine also, people who can afford are not willing to avail the services of doctors in government hospitals and prefer to go to private hospitals or abroad for treatment.

Under these situations, we cannot say that we are making excellent engineers and doctors while giving admission through entrance tests. Therefore, life or world is not going to stop if these entrance examinations are either postponed or not conducted this year and admissions to professional courses are done on merit of 10+2.

No doubt, examination has been an integral part of modern education system whether annually or semester or trimester basis. Just about three to four decades before, no entrance tests were conducted to get admission in simple or professional courses.

The education system with all its constituents like universities/institutes/colleges/schools were respected for their job and merit and the outcome (students) were accepted on the basis of their educational merit. Merit in annual/semester/trimester examinations was honoured before which was generating respect for teaching community and degrees.

At present, education and its degrees/certificates in India have lost their reliability and credibility not in India but also in foreign countries. Degrees and diplomas of most of the universities/institutes/colleges are considered to be fake and these are not taken for granted by any one.

Even in foreign countries, the degrees and diplomas of Indian universities/institutes/boards are verified for their authenticity first and then evaluated as per their standards for giving their weightage in admission in foreign universities/colleges.

Merit which was the outcome of yearly regular hard work, learning, evaluation, assessment and examination is not at all finding any honour and 1-3 hours entrance examination has been established as trade mark of credibility and reliability.

Though, such examinations have also been found to have many loop holes like: impersonation, leakage of question papers, patronization, etc. But entrance examinations always find a supporting lobby looking to provide equal opportunity to all students who could not come up with merit in annual/semester/trimester examination system.

Someone will also support resource generation by conducting such exams at mass level. Moreover, this system has given rise to coaching which is good for those who can afford and thus making an education divide in the society.

Further, coaching practice has undermined the students interest in regular classes thus disrespect towards teaching community. Further, with coaching students are losing grip on practical aspect of learning because they generally ignore practical component of their study for theory part.

Entrance examinations in comparison to merit must be having their own importance well known to education and education policy makers of the country but differing these for time being or may be for once taking into consideration the unorthodox conditions prevailing in the country due to COVID-19 pandemic will worth instead making people forcibly jump into virus infections.

With limited medical facilities, no vaccine, no medicine, people will be left to face the worst if they get infected with the virus.

—————————-

Watch video: