Nadda Defends NEET Amid Paper Leak Scandal

Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday defended the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which is currently under scrutiny due to paper leak issues. He mentioned that medical education had turned into a lucrative business before NEET was introduced, with postgraduate seats being sold for amounts ranging from Rs 8 crore to Rs 13 crore each.

During a discussion on a private member's resolution on NEET moved by DMK Rajya Sabha member M Mohmed Abdulla, Nadda intervened and emphasized the rampant corruption in medical education before NEET was established. "Medical education had become a business. When I was health minister and was bringing NEET, one postgraduate seat was sold for Rs 8 crore, and if you opted for a discipline like radiology, it was Rs 12-13 crore," he said.

Nadda explained that before NEET, students had to travel across the country for medical exams, dealing with significant financial and time burdens and extensive corruption. "The admission list used to be put up for 30-45 minutes, and then it was claimed that students did not come, so the seats were used at discretion. It had become a business with vested interests. Nadda noted that the case had been under consideration by the Supreme Court for a significant amount of time.

Nadda's defense of NEET comes at a crucial time when the examination faces severe backlash and demands for re-tests due to alleged paper leaks and malpractices. His statements underscore the government's stance on maintaining the integrity of medical admissions through standardized testing mechanisms like NEET.