BINAYAK DATTA
It was by all means their “Day”—the day late last month when the win some, insouciant, and witty young “Cockroaches” (our Gen-Z) won significantly what they asked for: the pin pointing of accountability for repetitive failures by people in high places responsible for delivering public ser vices. The protest was sui generis in our country. It clearly demonstrated that, going forward, the citizens of tomorrow will question au thority and demand answers and action. For failures, they will demand accountabili ty—even if that means sit ting out on the streets with high levels of enthusiasm in the Delhi summer, through thunder and rain, skipping meals and water, being chased, pushed, dragged, hauled, lathi-charged, tear gassed, and pelleted! The immediate cause uniting our Gen-Z was the endemic paper leak in the NEET (UG) 2026. A recent study shows that out of our 36.7-crore-strong Gen-Z pop ulation (youngsters aged 15 29), unemployment stands at 40% in the 15–25 age bracket and 20% in the 25–29 brack et. Out of 6.3 crore graduates aged 20–29, 1.1 crore remain unemployed, and just 7% se cured permanent salaried po sitions within a year of gradu ating (State of Working India 2026 – The Azim Premji Uni versity). That is precisely the magnitude of the core issue hitting Gen-Z so uncomfort ably.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Now that accountability has been acknowledged, ac tion is called for. According to the agreement, further en gagements will take place be tween the “Cockroach Janata Party” and the government in four weeks. Meanwhile, just as I ex pected, we did precisely what we are extremely good at doing: We drafted a new law amending the legislation we enacted two years ago fol lowing a similar NEET (UG) leak and arbitrary grace marks fiasco. We appointed a “Task Force,” mirroring the one set up two years ago, consisting of six members of eminent professional and academic excellence. However, I noticed the ab sence of an expert from the medical academics field—a critical omission given that NEET (UG) is the major activ ity here, with 22 lakh candi dates competing for just 1.37 lakh MBBS seats. Further more, of the 101 recommen dations made by the 2024 Task Force, reportedly only 57 have been fully imple mented after two years. In this column today, I propose to examine the challenges facing this process from my perspective as a past fac ulty elder and a concerned grandparent. A.
The Quick Fix: “Write a New Law… Fast-Track the Ju dicial Process”: The recently enacted Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act 2026 is a more stringent version of the two-year-old law of the same name. It increases pris on terms from 5 years to 10 years, individual fines from ₹10 lakhs to ₹50 lakhs, ser vice provider fines from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crores, and debar ment periods from 4 years to 8 years. It mandates that investigations be completed within two months and trials within three months. Without asking why, hypo thetically, a trial should en title itself to the luxury of a month more than an investi gation, the more critical ques tion is: when will the inves tigations actually end, when will the trials start and finish, and when will the convicts finally be punished? In the 2024 NEET case, 46 accused were reportedly arrested, but 44 of them have already been bailed out. Whodunnit? Meanwhile, 1,650 youngsters suffered in silence. If an in vestigation fails to secure ev idence or witnesses, how on earth will “stringent” punish ments help? And speaking of fast-track ing, their pendencies are on the rise as well. For example, in 2025, 1.4 lakh cases of rape and POCSO violations were registered in a Rouse Avenue Fast-Track Court, but only 0.66 lakh cases were disposed of. The pendency has now risen to 2.4 lakh cas es, up from 1.8 lakh five years ago (Department of Justice, GoI).
In the current NEET pa per-leak case, the first hear ing had to be adjourned to the following month because the public prosecutor failed to show up. Don’t mornings show the day? I believe that more than newer, harsher laws des tined for periodic dusting on lawyers’ shelves, what is critical is the sincerity of the arms of the law, their strict implementation, and a prior itization of values. B. Prevention comes first: Even before writing laws, it is more important to understand how to prevent paper leaks. In my view, you cannot correct the symp tom—the leak—unless you correct the entire process. This overhaul must start from the ground up: The content and sylla bus: Why should curricular questions be asked to bril liant students who have al ready cleared their board examinations with scores of 90% and above? Curricular questions invariably become a “leakers’ favourite”—a predictable string of known subjects where it is easier to tick alternatives out of mul tiple choices.
Instead, it must be a Trait-Attribute-Aptitude Based Test, particularly for Medicine and STEM streams. Look at the UCAT (the equiva lent test in the UK); it assess es the aptitude of candidates across five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Rea soning, Abstract Reasoning, Decision Making, and Situa tional Judgement. The theme and backdrop for these ques tions can be a lab, a clinic, or an operating theatre, focusing entirely on how this intelli gent student deems them selves fit for the “White Coat.” Similarly, in the US MCAT ex aminations, the stress is not solely on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB)—which is taken for granted in high schools—but on evaluating the future doctor within the candidate through sections on science knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solv ing abilities.
The structure of the operating agency: Are we asking too much of the Na tional Testing Agency (NTA)? Expecting a non-statutory, autonomous, self-sustaining society with a slender in ternal staff and a significant volume of private contrac tors—who may not possess laudable motivations—to smoothly examine 4.7 mil lion candidates across NEET, JEE-Mains, and CUET is un realistic. Can this framework ever work the way the man date demands? Decentralisation: Why not establish five Region al NTAs? The central Delhi NTA could set down policies and broad parameters for non-OMR, on-screen Com puter Based Tests (CBT), which they already success fully manage for JEE-Mains. This should be supported by a robust dispute-resolution panel of professionals, en suring central and peer au dits of the regions to main tain quality and compliance standards. The coaching “industry”: We must withdraw all trade licenses for this commercial industry. Instead, we should insist on a unified, Nation al Education Policy (NEP) 2020-based 5+3+3+4 school system registered with the respective educational boards—and nothing else. An open mind: Let us first acknowledge that a system ic problem exists.
If we are seen garlanding and exalting individuals who quit under pressure—those who pre sided over recurring system failures for years—it unfor tunately displays our leth argy in coming to grips with the root cause. We must communicate with youngsters, talk to them more often, build trust, and demonstrate a true sinceri ty of purpose. In this highly technical body, let us human ize the face. It is never too late for a reboot. Before I part, I recall my early years in office when our Quality Guru would often say: “Observing many companies in action, I am unable to point to a single instance in which stunning results were gotten without the active and per sonal leadership of the upper managers.” (Dr Joseph Juran, Juran on Leadership for Qual ity, 1989). Looking at our current educational crisis, I stand thoroughly convinced of that truth today. (The author is a retired Finance professional)
