BINAYAK DATTA
It’s one more time and it’s back just after a couple of years! And it’s again “Paper Leaks” at the exams for 22 lakhs of boys and girls more aptly “Future Doctors” of this country who realise they are suddenly locked out from their career dreams! Like some new strain of malaria, this was not the first time this happened, it’s become now a veritable traumatic ailment with alarming unwelcome regularity and there seems to be just no permanent fix for this strange disease iron ically striking our young doc tors of tomorrow even before they entered their college, leaving their parents baffled! I’m no doctor myself, but as a responsive elder in the civil-society with reasonable education and experience, I thought it’s best to take a look at this strange “ailment” and offer my views on the way forward! And why? This subject to me really concerns quality of doctors who enter this great profession and who will treat the India of Tomorrow! I understood, we have around 13 lakh allopath ic doctors according to the NMC (the National Medical Commission) and around 59,000 medical seats in gov ernment colleges and around the same number in private colleges.
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With a doctor-avail ability percentage of even 80, it could perhaps take com pletely different ways of look ing at bridging the enormous gap judging by our inequality of income and amenities and population base. More on this towards the end of this column. In my view the critical FOUR issues facing us from the NEET-UG, could be sum marised as: a) The relevance, suitability and cram-or-copy friendliness of the entrance test syllabus, the questions likely to originate from that syllabus and the relevance to admission seeking bright teens with the best IQ levels in this country, b) Security and confidentiality in logis tics, c) Administration of the test and operational policies. And d) Practices world-wide and my take, joining these four dots.
First: Relevance, suitabil ity and integrity: I must say I’m a bit lost on the NEET-UG syllabus! We should actually be looking for the student’s aptitude for a top-notch ca reer in medicine, rather than looking for his proficiency in school subjects, which are already proven with his high school scores. (If it’s possible hike the cut-offs from the 45-50% levels to say 75 80%. (It’s another matter that the CBSE themselves are in the unenvious news this year with innumerable technical glitches particular ly that of the implementa tion of the new OSM System (On-Screen Marking System) which appeared to me to have resulted from hands on stress-tests, release-tests, quality-tests and inaccessible portals). This mode of ques tions-answers on a well laid down course will not only be question-leak friendly, they will also be cram-and copy friendly, expertly aided by some of the best “Coach ing” Capitals of the world. I strongly recommend the future doctor should be ex amined for his strengths that point to his aptitude for ren dering quality health man agement, critical procedures, his traits, his stamina and his attitudes for dispensation of such a critical service to an individual who knows only the symptoms of his suffering but perhaps completely una ware of its root cause! In the UCAT (the similar tests in the UK), they seek aptitudes of boys and girls on five sections, viz: Ver bal reasoning (21 minutes), Quantitative reasoning, (25 minutes), Abstract reason ing (12 minutes), Decision making (31 minutes) and Situational judgements (26 minutes). The theme and backdrop for the questions can be a lab or a clinic or an operation-theatre but it’s im portant how this intelligent student deems himself fit for the Hippocratic Oath he’s go ing to swear tomorrow! In the US for example, in the MCAT examinations, the stress is in not the PCB (Physics Chemistry, Biology) only, that’s taken for granted in the schools back home) the stress is on the future doctor in him.
The sections here are on: a) Physics, Chemistry and Biology Knowledge; b) Criti cal thinking; c) Problem solv ing abilities. I think in this juncture of their lives, it is important to transit from memorising and mediocrity to creativity and continuing Innovative skills. Like all excellence, they can not be “leaked out” nor “crammed” nor copied! In my view following from other MCQ tests, each block of MCQs must have a pen and-paper box and a short and precise answer in long hand filled up, consisten cy-checked and evaluated by AI-driven logic, with expla nations. A medical entrance test should rather test a boys’ handwriting than the dis tance between the sun and the moon! I’m scared to even open a physician’s prescrip tion, most often, the bigger the author the lesser the leg ibility! Second: Security and con fidentiality in logistics: The requirements of stringency in security would be eased as there can never be “suggest ed” or “leaked” answers for a response on, say creativi ty! That said there has to be in place a periodic audit and sign off on adherence to SOPs and Codes of deliveries in the testing organisation and a stated process wise stepwise matrix of accountabilities! Third: Administration: I have a little remark (as a lay-elder), to make on the governing structure at the National Testing Agency, incharge of conducting the NEET. I find there’s just one member from the Medical fraternity on the Governing Board out of 13 members. I think this needs a relook as the NEET is a major function of the NTA. Fourth: Students’ prepa ration: An online 5 hour cap sule developed by NTA for candidate and faculty train ing on modality only, would be essential and no private coaching institutes should be involved. Fifth: In order that we now try fixing the gap between number of doctors and num ber of patients as also number of seats and number of can didates, and I said we take a relook at the subject.
Quality foreign universities are need ed in Medical Research and Education but as far as I know only four Universities from Australia and UK have come in but none of this is a Top 100 name nor is any of them setting anything up in Medical Research and Education. I think also, the ‘Top 500’ policy limit may be expand ed for a start and autonomy may be codified adherence, audited and improved upon to start with. This will greatly help. And before I part: All this is serious, it looks for our ac ceptance and a visit to our drawing boards. The New OSM imbroglio at the CBSE’26 for 17 lakh children and the “Minor-Technical-Glitches” fiasco at start-up, for the CUET’26 for 16 lakh children all coming at the same time cannot be just a coincidence. “We must accept finite disap pointment, but never lose in finite hope.” — wrote Dr Mar tin Luther King Jr. (Strength to Love,1963). I may add, “Denial” will get us nowhere other than attacks of “Malar ia” at regular intervals. (The author is a retired Finance professional)
