BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao
Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday slammed the Centre for its inept handling of the NEET issue and said the confusion surrounding it has dashed the hopes of students who dream of becoming doctors.
Condemning the Centre’s inaction despite reports that NEET question papers were being sold in Bihar for up to ₹30 lakh each, he sought to know why several arrests were made if everything was all right. He accused the Centre of neglecting the issue by adopting a lackadaisical attitude.
He pointed out that despite numerous allegations and suspicions surrounding NEET, the BJP-led government was yet to respond to the issue adequately. He demanded to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who frequently holds discussions with students about examinations, had remained silent on the critical issue.
In an open letter addressed to the NDA government at the Centre, the BRS leader demanded that a thorough investigation be launched into the entire matter and stringent action be taken against those found responsible. He requested the Centre to reassure the students and parents.
Highlighting the unprecedented scenario of 67 students getting the first rank in NEET, Mr. Rama Rao said eight students from one exam centre scored 720 marks, raising the suspicion of a paper leak. He said that even one mark difference could change rankings and would result in many losing opportunities of admission.
He also criticised Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for attempting to cover up the issue by claiming that everything was in order. He remarked that the Centre had ignored the issue until the Supreme Court intervened and noted that, when questioned, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had given unusual responses on issues relating to NEET.
Mr. Rama Rao also criticised awarding grace marks to 1,563 students this year and pointed out that the practice of grace marks was not typically applied in competitive/entrance exams such as NEET. He demanded clarity on the criteria used for awarding the grace marks and questioned the NTA’s handling of the matter.
The BRS leader requested the MPs from Telangana to ensure that the students from the State did not suffer due to irregularities in NEET.
