New Delhi: ABVP seeks complete overhaul of NTA, calls for permanent staff
Solanki also said ABVP wants NEET-UG to be conducted twice a year and in computer-based test (CBT) mode, saying the model would reduce the risk of paper leaks while giving students another opportunity to perform well.
It will definitely reduce the risk and it will be very beneficial for students, he said.
Students will have two options. Many times, students preparing for medical examinations are unable to perform well due to personal reasons, or despite preparing well, their examination does not go as expected. If the exam is conducted twice, they will have another chance if they do not perform well the first time.
I also think this will significantly reduce the instances of students suffering mental distress or attempting suicide, because they will have another opportunity, he said.
On the logistical challenges of conducting a CBT examination for around 12-13 lakh students, Solanki said the test could be held in multiple slots and centres.
Having that many computers available simultaneously and conducting the exam in a single slot is not possible. But I think it can be conducted in multiple slots, as is done for IIT examinations, and at different centres, he said.
Asked about students in rural areas, Solanki said mock tests and training could familiarise them with CBT examinations and existing computer facilities in schools could be used.
Today, there is an education infrastructure across the country. Schools have computer classes, and these can be used to provide such facilities to students in remote areas.
Videos of mock tests can also be made available to students through YouTube and other digital platforms. There can be multiple ways to overcome this challenge and ultimately conduct the examination.
I think having the examination twice a year and conducting it in CBT mode would definitely be a major reform for NEET-UG students, he said.
When we imagine India in 2047 as a country where education is accessible, affordable and quality-oriented, and examinations are corruption-free and paper-leak-free, this could prove to be a major reform in that direction, he added.
Solanki also called for strengthening the NTA’s grievance redressal mechanism, particularly in view of concerns raised by students over answer keys and examination-related issues.
We want reforms because over the last two-three years there have been repeated incidents of paper leaks. Even after taking the examination, students remain doubtful about their answer keys. They may have certain concerns or issues, but they do not always receive proper responses from the grievance cell.
I think the NTA’s grievance redressal mechanism needs to be developed properly so that no student is left with doubts. Students should be able to directly raise their questions and receive answers.
These are two reforms that are required, and we have already raised them, he said.
On medical education, Solanki said requirements are varied for NEET, MBBS and postgraduate students and flagged pressure faced by MBBS students in the final year.
If we talk about MBBS students, there has already been a curriculum reform. The competency-based curriculum has been introduced, which is good. But in the final year of MBBS, all the clinical subjects have been brought together.
This creates a certain amount of pressure on students. Since they study clinical subjects gradually from the second year through the final year, there is considerable pressure when all of them come together in the final year.Something needs to be done to reduce that pressure, he said.
Solanki also called for greater focus on the quality of internships, saying students should get adequate practical exposure.
Another issue is internships. Students need to take internships seriously, and the institutions conducting internships also need to ensure proper learning.
In some places, students are engaged in tasks that do not have much educational value — filling files, making photocopies, accompanying patients for investigations and so on. This affects their productivity and the quality of their learning.
Some institutions do provide very good learning opportunities, but institutions need to think in this direction, and students also need to take internships seriously, he said.
He said students often move towards postgraduate preparation during internships without getting enough opportunity to apply their MBBS learning in clinical settings.
During internships, students often move directly towards PG preparation and do not get the opportunity to practically learn what they studied during MBBS. They may not see enough patients in OPDs, observe procedures in OTs or assist in surgeries.
Instead, they directly move towards theoretical PG preparation.
I think students also need to think about this and give adequate importance to practical learning during their internships, Solanki said.