editorials

Updated: Jun 23, 2017 09:28 IST

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) MBBS 2017 examination results, which came out on Thursday, has baffled many of us. Here’s why: Ten students who were coached for the examination by a single tutorial, Allen Career Institute, in Rajasthan’s Kota have grabbed the top 10 ranks in these intensely competitive exams. Last year too, eight of Allen’s students had made it to the top 10 in the AIIMS 2016 exam while three had bagged the first top three ranks in National Eligibility and Entrance Test 2016, which is meant for admission to the MBBS/BDS courses in medical/dental colleges run with the approval of Medical Council of India/Dental Council of India under the ministry of health.

Without taking away anything from the super achievers who went through an insanely punishing schedule by the institute, an important question must be raised at this juncture: Has this particular institute cracked the code/pattern of these examinations to get such a perfect score? While there is no proof, it could have happened since the medical course is finite and does not change very often even through regular breakthroughs take place in the field of every day. So it could be possible that the institute/institutes have figured out a pattern in these exams by studying the questions of the last few years. Earlier, there have also been accusations against these institutes that they ‘buy’ the best students by offering them financial incentives, the best teachers, accommodation and world class facilities for free to ensure that the chosen ones get the top ranks. For the institutes, such good results ensure mileage to attract more students. Let’s not forget, for every successful student, there will be scores of others who will not make it. In fact, it’s not just in medical and engineering that we have such coaching factories; even for the prestigious Indian Administrative Services there are coaching institutes which have had a record of notching up top slots year after year.

If anything, the education policy-makers and all those who are involved in the setting the examination papers must treat the 2017 results as a wake-up call for screening the system.

They must investigate how these institutes are managing to produce such brilliant results year after year. While no one is denying that there is a lot of hard work involved in passing these examinations, the authorities must keep a strict watch to prevent anyone from ‘gaming’ the screening system so that all students get a fair chance to get into the top institutions.