Editorial: A year that stifled hope

The year 2024 will go down as the one that represents gloom for the country’s youth

If the bygone years are to be judged by the impact they make across sections, 2024 will go down as a year that represents gloom for the country’s youth. It only brought a sense of despondency and helplessness among the young people and often poured cold water on their aspirations. The year was marked by reports of paper leaks and allegations of cheating and foul play leading to cancellations of entrance examinations and subsequent protests. The raging controversy over the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam is yet another reminder of the ills that plague our examination system. Protests have been intensifying across Bihar in support of the demand for the cancellation of the exam, conducted on December 13. Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor, who has been on a fast-unto-death to express solidarity with the students, has since been arrested. The BPSC row is the latest addition to a long list of such irregularities. The year that has just gone by saw instances of cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examination and allegations of paper leak and malpractices in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG). Exams conducted for State government recruitments in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu faced similar controversies. These controversies caused major embarrassment to the governments and highlighted the urgent need for overhauling the system. A new Act to prevent malpractices in the public examinations came into effect from June last year but the question remains whether it is enough.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, has provision for up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for malpractices and organised cheating in government recruitment exams. Mere enactment of laws is not going to check this menace. Fixing inadequacies and regaining trust in the institutions is of paramount importance. For the aspirants, many of whom belong to marginalised castes and classes, these exams are a way to achieve social mobility against challenging odds. In a country of large economic disparities, and when job creation is not picking up in the private sector, they represent a possibility of empowerment for millions. The voices of the students in Bihar, and other States, must be heard and heeded. In a country of the young, one that is on the move, much is at stake. At present, our examination system carries a double whammy; enormous stress for the candidates and potential erosion of public faith due to irregularities. This needs to be fixed. Examination malpractices in India range from leakage of question papers to impersonation and bribery, affecting the integrity of examinations at various levels. The repeated breaches in the examination process are not just administrative failures but also a betrayal of the trust that students place in the system. The youth deserve a fair chance to prove their merit without the shadow of corruption.

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