From NEET to school exams: Integrity should be upheld, increased punishment for offenders

The sanctity and credibility of exams are under threat across the country. With the onset of exam season, students strive to give their best after a year of rigorous preparation, hoping for moments of relief afterward. However, growing incidents of irregularities and question paper leaks are deeply troubling, affecting not just prestigious exams like NEET, attempted by approximately twenty-five lakh students, but also routine school-level assessments. Such breaches have resulted in reshuffled rank lists, legal battles, and prolonged confusion, particularly evident in NEET admissions, echoing the chaos from the previous academic year.

The observation made by High Court Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan while denying anticipatory bail to the main accused, Muhammed Shuhaib, who leaked and sold the questions, should be taken seriously by all those responsible for conducting the examination. It should never be assumed that it is just a school examination; it should not be given much importance. Every small examination should be conducted with its own transparency and credibility. What is the sanctity of the exam if it loses its credibility? The harm done to classmates and society by those who organize question papers in a 'cool' manner by devious means before the exam is great.

The time until the question paper arrives is one of anxiety and fear. The joy that a child feels when he looks at the questions and sees questions that can be answered easily is indescribable. But the clever ones who steal the questions in advance and come to write the exam cannot experience such joy. Fraudsters who organize question papers in advance and sell them to children to earn money have existed since ancient times. Several cases have also arisen in the state regarding the leaking of questions of SSLC and Plus Two exams. Some of the accused involved in the cases have been punished.

School exams are not spared, as seen in the Christmas school exams this academic year, where question paper leaks stirred unrest. High Court Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan emphasized the importance of integrity in all exams, irrespective of their level. He highlighted that exams, no matter how small, hold significance for students, shaping their educational journey and fostering memories. The harm caused by dishonest practices, such as leaking and selling questions, extends beyond individuals—it erodes trust within the educational system and society at large.

Instances of question paper leaks have plagued school-level SSLC and Plus Two exams in the past, with some culprits facing penalties. Despite this, fraudsters persist, exploiting every opportunity. Historically, secretive networks operated during the pre-degree phase to manipulate results for professional course admissions, necessitating the introduction of entrance exams. Unfortunately, widespread irregularities continue to surface, not only in academic settings but also in recruitment exams. These unethical activities demand stringent consequences for offenders to curb such dishonest practices.