K’taka has asked Centre to discontinue NEET: Sudhakar

Mangaluru: Karnataka higher education minister MC Sudhakar on Friday said the state govt has repeatedly urged the Union govt to discontinue the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), citing student distress, the rapid growth of coaching centres and recurring controversies surrounding the examination.

Speaking in the city on the sidelines of an event, Sudhakar said Karnataka had objected to NEET “long back,” particularly after an earlier paper leak, and noted that the assembly had passed a resolution seeking a return to the previous system in which states conducted their own entrance examinations, such as the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET). He said the state has continued to reiterate its demand through multiple channels, including the medical education department.

Referring to allegations of irregularities in the latest NEET, Sudhakar said the impact of problems in a single national examination is far wider than in state-level tests. He said more than 22 lakh students appear for NEET across the country, and argued that any disruption or malpractice affects candidates nationwide. “If anything happens in an individual state, it affects only the students of those states, not the entire nation. Now the entire nation is suffering,” he said, pointing to mental stress among students, and financial hardship for families when candidates lose one or more years attempting the exam.

Sudhakar also linked the “mushrooming” of coaching centres to unhealthy competition, and alleged that monetary incentives push some to “stoop down to any level” to secure better results, contributing to malpractice. He said ensuring a fully transparent and “issueless” examination becomes difficult when such elements operate around high-stakes testing.

The minister urged the Union govt and the ministry of education to hold a national debate on NEET, and consider approaching the Supreme Court to seek changes in what he described as the larger interest of students. He said the Centre should not treat the issue as one of prestige, and should acknowledge the administrative and credibility challenges involved in conducting the exam.

Sudhakar also called for reducing the exclusive weight given to NEET scores, and suggested returning to a system that factors in class XII performance, including a 50% component from board marks. He argued that an overemphasis on NEET shifts attention away from foundational schooling and encourages exam-centric preparation.

On undergraduate education under state universities, Sudhakar said Karnataka has initiated steps toward a uniform academic calendar. He said the exercise began in 2023 and a five-year calendar has been released, outlining timelines for affiliations, the start of the academic year and completion of examinations, with a permissible variation of 5 to 15 days to account for delays such as evaluation. He said the move is aimed at preventing students from being disadvantaged when applying for postgraduate programmes elsewhere due to delayed results.

Addressing concerns about newly established universities facing funding constraints, Sudhakar criticised the manner in which some institutions were created, calling certain models “not a workable thing.” On whether the government plans to shut them down, he said a subcommittee has prepared recommendations and a report is being submitted to the cabinet, which will decide the next course of action.