Letters

Readers respond to Frontline’s coverage.

The NEET fiasco

The allegations of large-scale paper leaks and the surfacing of serious irregularities in the NEET examination, in which 67 students have scored a perfect 720/720 this year, exposes the loopholes in an ill-conceived, hastily introduced and haphazardly implemented system (Cover Story, July 26). It is unfortunate that a dozen examinations had to be brought under the purview of a single centralised testing agency in order to achieve the ambition of “one nation, one examination”. This has only created confusion even as it enabled the proliferation of profit-making coaching centres.

Examinations need to be aptitude-based in order to test writing and reasoning skills and the ability to synthesise material and concepts, and this simply cannot be achieved by the computer-based multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. Considering that the future of several lakh students is at stake, it is time to scrap both NEET and the National Testing Agency in the interest of equity.

M.Y. Shariff

Chennai

The NEET debacle has merely scratched the surface of a far more profound crisis, a crisis that pierces the very heart of our education system. The “one nation, one examination” model, which was touted as a unifying force, has instead become a tool of discrimination, favouring the privileged and further marginalising the already vulnerable. The Justice Rajan Committee’s damning verdict exposes the chasm between rural and urban, poor and rich, and the coaching centres’ stranglehold on exam success.

The NEET fiasco has perpetuated an intergenerational cycle of disadvantage, denying deserving students a fair shot at inclusive education and imperilling the future of our society and nation. A new Brahminism has emerged, demanding the “writing thumbs” of a new generation of Ekalavyas, laying bare the festering sores of our education system and exposing the hollowness of claims to the contrary.

In a country where the marginalised outnumber the elite, a common test that prioritises one syllabus over all others cannot be the sole arbiter of access to medical education. Even if NEET’s irregularities are addressed, the larger issue remains: it has failed the tests of equality and federalism. The very fabric of our education system is frayed, and it is time we acknowledged the canker at its core.

Sudipta Ghosh

Jangipur, West Bengal

Indian railways

Under the ongoing Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, hundreds of railway stations are getting a swanky makeover and high-speed trains have shrunk the distances between cities. And yet, these developments appear to be lopsided. Luxury and comfort seem to have taken precedence over safety (“On the wrong track”, July 26).

Due consideration has not been given to suburban train services. When the suburban services of Western Railways have moved from 12- to 15-car rakes, MEMU and DEMU trains in Southern Railways and other zones are still running with old, narrow and heavy steel-bodied six- and nine-car rakes, struggling to cope with the high demand in passenger services.

The roll-out of Kavach, the much-touted automatic train protection system, is also far from satisfactory. It has been deployed only in 1,465 kilometres (a mere 2 per cent of the entire network of 68,000 kilometres) so far. Whereas the total budgetary allocation was about Rs.798 crore for 2023-24, only 40 per cent of the funds allocated have been utilised. The Finance Minister must be liberal in allocating funds in the upcoming Railway Budget to enable the speedier implementation of Kavach. Sensitising the field staff on safety protocols and continuous training on the modern signalling system will go a long way in averting accidents.

R.V. Baskaran

Chennai

It is a matter of utmost concern that three major railway accidents have occurred in the space of a year. Close on the heels of the Balasore and Vizianagaram train tragedies of 2023 comes the recent collision of a goods train with the Kanchanjunga Express near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. Evidently the Indian Railways has still not learnt from its past mistakes. The accident, reportedly caused by the failure of the track signalling system, is a wake-up call to the powers that be to accord top priority to passenger safety and immediately overhaul our outmoded traffic signalling systems. Swift and stringent punitive action needs to be taken against the erring officials for laxity and dereliction of duty. Instead of pointing fingers, the opposition needs to stand behind the government at this hour of calamity.

B. Suresh Kumar

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Iqra Hasan

Iqra Hasan, who won from Kairana constituency in western Uttar Pradesh and made history by becoming the youngest MP in the 18th Lok Sabha, is truly an inspiration (“Women’s own”, July 26). She may have inherited the political legacy from her family, but her efforts and dedication on the ground have also played a crucial role in her success, making her victory a testament to her individual merit and hard work.

The journey of this 29-year-old Gen Z MP has been nothing short of remarkable, and will inspire countless young girls, Muslim and otherwise, to pursue their dreams of serving society. India needs young, educated, and forward-thinking parliamentarians and we have seen several of them enter Parliament from different parties and States this time, which bodes well for Indian democracy.

I extend my heartfelt wishes to Iqra and eagerly look forward to her impactful contributions in Parliament.

Uzair Ahmed

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh