‘Consultation with states needed’

A raging row is on over the bungled medical entrance exam NEET. The examination was held on 5 May across 4,750 centres, with about 2.4 million candidates appearing for it. Kapil Sibal, an independent Rajya Sabha MP, who was Human Resource Development Minister in UPA II from 2009 to 2012, has demanded a probe by Supreme Court-appointed officials into allegations of irregularities. He has also called on the Modi government to have a thorough consultation with all states as to how this examination is to be held in future

As a former HRD minister, how do you view the present situation?

The present National Testing Agency (NTA) has really bungled and corruption has been brought to light on media platforms, such as providing solutions for question papers for something like becoming a doctor. Some of these incidents in Gujarat have perplexed me and are a matter of great national concern. I think NTA should answer some of these very serious questions. What is even more surprising and disappointing is that whenever something like this happens and there is corruption under the aegis of the present government, the andh bhakts start blaming the UPA for it and that is most unfortunate, because they don’t seem to be fully educated before making statements of this nature.

Is UPA to be blamed for the mess, as some are saying?

The NEET regulation was introduced in 2010 by the Medical Council of India (MCI) through its board of directors. The MCI was under the ministry of health and not under the ministry of education. So, I, as the minister for HRD, had nothing to do with this. The MCI board of governors introduced a regulation, saying there should be a national eligibility test for students getting admitted to MBBS course. The regulation was challenged by writ petitioners and it was struck down by the Supreme Court on 18 July 2013, saying that the MCI has no legislative competence to introduce NEET, which is an all-India eligibility entrance test. So, after this was struck down, on 11 April 2014, a review petition was filed. The review was allowed and the order of 2013 was withdrawn.

Are you passing the buck to the BJP?

The BJP government came to power and, on 28 April 2016, a writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court, asking that, since the order striking down the NEET regulation has been withdrawn, why isn’t the regulation issued by MCI under board of governors, not being implemented. Thereafter, on 4 August 2016, the then BJP government introduced section 10D and the Indian Medical Council Act was amended. On 8 August 2019, the National Medical Council Act was passed, replacing the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956. It contained another section 14, which provided for the NEET examination.

On 29 October 2020, the Supreme Court upheld this legislation. The legislation was introduced by the present government. This had nothing to do with UPA.

The present HRD minister Dharmendra Pradhan has rejected allegations of paper leak or rigging in the exam…

Let him go on social media and see how this is happening in Gujarat itself. The state of Gujarat is one of the progressive states; and even in respect of corruption it seems to be somewhat progressive. There is rampant corruption in the manner in which examinations are being held not just in one state but throughout the country.

If 67 students have maxed and some of them belong to same centre, I think the minister should be worried about it, instead of saying there is nothing wrong. In this government, there would not be any minister who will admit that something wrong has been done.

What are you proposing?

A CBI inquiry will protect the administration, and, so, an inquiry is needed through an independent agency or independent officers selected by the Supreme Court and not by the government in power. The probe by the Supreme Court-appointed officials should be into allegations of irregularities. The Modi government should have a thorough consultation with all states as to how this examination is to be held in future. With India having a 1.40 billion population and such a complex social order, I think the Centre must consult each state and come up with a consensus as to how admissions for medicine are going to take place. u