Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Said that competitive exams like JEE,NEET and those conducted by the UPSC should focus on equality and attracting merit.

  New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Said that competitive exams like Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), National Eligibility cu...

 

New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Said that competitive exams like Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and those conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) should focus on equality and attracting merit.

Lakhs of students take UPSC, JEE, NEET exams every year and a “critical look” is needed to “re-evaluate” patterns of these “prestigious and highly sought after exams”, the Odisha CM said during the sixth meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Should not we have exams that focus on equality and attracting merit as opposed to exam patterns that are heavily dependent on highly paid coaching classes,” Mr Patnaik asked.

If the country to really move forward, we have to take along neglected regions & vulnerable populations for which committed & targeted action is needed. Hallmark of a mature democracy is that once elected, Govts are meant to work for people, beyond party lines. pic.twitter.com/xk2lHt4az8

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) February 20, 2021

The Odisha Chief Minister said dependence on coaching classes for competitive exams will eliminate merit of students.

“This will truly eliminate merit in the long run and deny justice to lakhs of our children who live in rural areas and don’t have physical or economic access to coaching classes,” Mr Naveen Patnaik said.

NITI Aayog should look into this very serious issue or else in a few years’ there will be serious distortions, He added.