Karnataka civil society seeks state resolution to scrap NEET, NTA
Bengaluru: A group of civil society representatives from Karnataka has urged the State government to move a resolution in the forthcoming legislature session, calling upon the Union government to scrap the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the National Testing Agency (NTA), and restore the States' authority over medical admissions.
In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the signatories argued that the mandatory nationwide NEET system has serious implications for federalism, educational autonomy, social justice and equal opportunity. They noted that education falls under the Concurrent List in Entry 25 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, but Section 14 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which mandates a uniform NEET, has substantially curtailed the role of States in selecting students for medical education.
The representatives contended that a single examination cannot ensure substantive equality in a country with diverse school curricula, languages, rural-urban disparities and socio-economic conditions. They said the system disproportionately benefits students from economically stronger and urban backgrounds who can afford expensive coaching.
According to the letter, NEET has diminished the importance of school education by making two years of sustained academic effort subordinate to performance in a single examination. Students from government schools, rural areas, Kannada-medium institutions and disadvantaged communities are placed at a structural disadvantage, they argued.
The signatories also referred to controversies over alleged question paper leaks, examination irregularities and reliability of scores, saying these have weakened public confidence in the centralised examination system.
As an alternative, they proposed that admissions to medical colleges in Karnataka be based on physics, chemistry and biology marks in the II PU or Class 12 examinations, along with constitutionally mandated reservations. Differences in evaluation standards among education boards could be addressed through a transparent and scientific normalisation process, they suggested.
Such a system, they said, would strengthen school education, reduce dependence on coaching centres, ease financial burden on families and lessen students' mental stress.
The representatives cited the Tamil Nadu Assembly's passage of the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill, 2021, and said Karnataka could consider similar legislation. They suggested the Bill could be reserved for the President's consideration under Article 254(2) of the Constitution, which allows States to make laws on Concurrent List subjects with presidential assent.
They urged the government to consult students, parents, teachers, educationists, medical experts, social justice organisations and political parties, and to coordinate with other States opposed to NEET.
“Admission to medical education should not depend on a family’s economic capacity, access to expensive coaching or performance in a single centralised examination, but should reflect students’ school performance, sustained effort and the principles of social justice,” the letter stated.
The letter was signed by scores of civil society representatives, including retired Supreme Court judge Gopal Gowda, educationist V.P. Niranjanaradhya, writers Basavaraj Sulibhavi, Rajarama Tallur, Moodnakoodu Chinnaswamy, K. Neela, Rahmat Tarikere and Ashoka Shettar, journalist Indudhar Honnapura, doctors H.S. Anupama and Rudragowda C. Patil, theatre and film personality B. Suresh and former Vice-Chancellor Sabiha Bhoomigowda, among others.
