On their first glance at news report on the scrapping of the University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam, many mistook it to be a routine news update about the ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination. Even before young people in India — many are potential aspirants of these examinations — could recover from the shock of the irregularity in the medical entrance examination, they have been hit by yet another scandal. While a blame game has ensued along party lines, it is imperative to understand why are these scandals increasingly taking place?
Frequent paper leaks are a ‘supply side’ function. These incidents actually point out to a rather ‘high demand’ that exists among aspirants to clear these examinations since these exams function like check gates to acquiring all that is deemed desirable by Indian middle-class sensibilities. The Indian society has placed significant emphasis on educational achievements as a measure of an individual’s potential and worth. The societal emphasis on exam success as the ultimate measure of worth has led to the production of students geared towards mechanical learning methods.
These exams, structured to reward memorisation and replication of knowledge, inadvertently promote a ‘factory model’ of education. Students, driven by societal expectations and the promise of success, prioritise exam results over holistic learning experiences. This narrow focus undermines creativity and critical thinking, moulding students into rigidly prepared individuals adept at exam strategies but potentially lacking in broader skills essential for real-world challenges.
The collective consciousness of youth and parents is deeply entrenched in an almost reverential obsession with competitive examinations such as the NEET, Joint Entrance Exam or JEE, NET, etc. This cultural norm has been amplified in the colonial past of ours being equated with unparalleled opportunities and societal approval.
These exams, heralded as gateways to success, have become the be-all and end-all for many aspirants, driven by the belief that clearing these hurdles guarantees a prosperous future. The youth, in turn, internalise these expectations, leading to a collective pursuit of academic excellence. The rigorous preparation for these exams often begins in early adolescence, with students dedicating countless hours to mastering an extensive syllabus, often at the expense of holistic development and well-being.
Coaching institutions consequently have become an integral part of the educational landscape, especially for students preparing for such highly competitive exams. These institutions promise guaranteed success through intensive training, exploiting the desperation of students and parents. This commercialisation of education creates a dependency on expensive coaching, widening the socio-economic gap and reinforcing the belief that success is attainable only through costly coaching programmes.
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The kind of paper leak scams that are increasingly coming to the fore are no longer the isolated individual or small group-level incidents of yore. As the stakes of competitive exams have drastically risen, triggering a parallel growth of a humongous coaching centre industry, the nature of irregularity have also become much grander. The new scams are product of big nexuses involving several stakeholders. In other words, there is a political economy undergirding the instances of irregularities in various entrance examinations.
The Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh is a stark example of this symbiotic nature. This scam involved a vast network of politicians, businessmen, and officials who manipulated entrance exams for medical colleges and recruitment tests for government jobs. The scam led to numerous arrests and highlighted the deep-rooted corruption in the examination system.
Paper leak groups exploit the vulnerabilities within the examination system, often colluding with insiders to access and distribute exam papers before the scheduled dates. These groups operate through well-organised networks, involving a range of actors from low-level operatives to high-ranking officials. The NEET paper leak in 2024 is just one example of this widespread issue. The relationship between coaching institutions and paper leak groups is often symbiotic. Some coaching centres, eager to maintain their success rates and reputation, may indirectly benefit from leaked papers by preparing their students with insider information. This not only undermines the integrity of the examination process but also creates an uneven playing field where honest students are disadvantaged.
This competitive nexus further intensifies anxiety among students. The constant fear of unfair advantages through leaked papers undermines trust in the meritocracy of the education system. The relentless pursuit of perfection in these high-stakes exams perpetuates a cycle of emotional distress, where students sacrifice personal well-being for academic success, exacerbating societal pressures and impacting their overall development. Notably, the combination of paper leaks and the hyper-competitive environment of exams fosters a generation of students focused on strategic learning rather than holistic growth.
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This ‘machine learning’ approach churns out students’ skillfulness at cracking exams but potentially lacks in critical thinking and creativity. The emphasis on rote memorisation and exam strategies further marginalises diverse learning styles and individual talents. The inherent nature of these examinations, characterised by their increasingly objective format, reflects a colonial hangover that perpetuates the production of ‘babus’ or clerical workers. The objective nature of these exams, while designed to ensure fairness and standardisation, has inadvertently contributed to a narrow focus on rote learning and memorisation. Moreover, this colonial legacy has exacerbated competition, leading to an unhealthy obsession with securing top ranks.
The impact of these unethical practices is profound. They erode trust in the education system, demoralise honest students, and perpetuate inequality. The high stakes associated with these exams create immense pressure on students, leading to stress, anxiety, and even extreme measures such as suicides.
Abhinav Pankaj Borbora and Nirmanyu Chouhan are researchers at Lokniti-CSDS.
