New Delhi: On Friday, Health Minister J P Nadda defended the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which is currently facing scrutiny due to paper leak issues. He mentioned that medical education had become a business before the introduction of NEET, and PG seats were sold for Rs 8 crore to 13 crore each.
The minister intervened during a discussion on a private member’s bill on the NEET moved by Rajya Sabha member M Mohmed Abdulla and said corruption was rife in medical education before the NEET was brought in during his first stint as health minister.
“Medical education had become the den of a business. When I was health minister and was bringing NEET, one seat of post graduation was sold for Rs 8 crore each and if you had to opt for a discipline like radiology then it was Rs 12-13 crore,” Nadda said.
He said that before the NEET came in, students had to travel across the country for medical exams. The minister said that beside the money and time spent, the students also had to deal with huge corruption in the medical education system.
“The admission list used to be put up for 30-45 minutes and afterwards it use to be said students did not come, therefore, we are using these seats at our discretion. It had become a business. There was a vested interest. The matter was pending before the Supreme Court for long time,” Nadda said.
