I was a member of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare between 2014 and 2019 and recall broad support for NEET. But there were MPs, especially from Tamil Nadu, who had raised concerns that NEET would privilege CBSE students and would disadvantage youth coming from non-CBSE schools.

I do think now that this CBSE issue needs proper analysis. Is NEET discriminatory? Are students from poorer backgrounds being denied opportunities? Other states like Maharashtra also have expressed grave doubts on NEET.

There are also serious questions on the integrity of the National Testing Agency itself and the manner in which NEET is designed and administered. NCERT itself has lost all professionalism in the last decade.

Hopefully the new Standing Committee(s) when they get constituted will take up an in-depth review of NEET, NTA and NCERT. This should receive the highest priority.

~ Jairam Ramesh, MP (RS)