Mamata 'hurt', state to write to Centre

State government will write a strong letter to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) drawing its attention to the question paper fiasco in this years' National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

State Education minister Partha Chatterjee on Monday alleged that the standard of Bengali question paper of the NEET, held on last Sunday, was much difficult than that of the English question paper. Chatterjee also said that this has left people in utter shock as there cannot be any discrimination between medical aspirants on the basis of language opted as the medium of examination.

"We will strongly deal with the issue as it hurts the sentiment of the medical aspirants of the state. We will write to the CBSE which has conducted the national-level medical entrance examination. I have received complaints from the students and their guardians after the Bengali question paper was harder than the English question paper," Chatterjee said.

He also mentioned that the state government will go to any extend to stop discrimination of medical aspirants on the basis of language that occurred in Sunday's examination.

"It was promised that the standard of Bengali question paper in the NEET would be same as that of the English but it has been found that the Bengali question paper was more difficult than the English paper. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also hurt in this incident. We will seek her intervention in this regard," Chatterjee said at Nabanna on Monday.

Pointing fingers at the BJP-led government at the Centre, Chatterjee said that no one can hurt the sentiment of medical aspirants writing their paper in vernacular language. It can also not ignore the talented pool of students of the state by setting more difficult question for the candidates opting Bengali as the medium of examination. He also said that it must be looked into if the CBSE has done so following any directive from the Centre. A letter would be sent to the CBSE seeking an explanation after consulting the state Health department, the minister said.

It may be mentioned that Bengali was selected as the medium of examination after the state government had urged the centre to choose Bengali as a medium of NEET as huge number of candidates appear in the medical entrance examinations.

The single level medical entrance examination was introduced throughout the country this year. In 2013, NEET was conducted by the Centre after which it got scraped following the direction of the Supreme Court.

It has been alleged by the candidates and their guardians that there were errors in the Bengali question paper of the NEET which was conducted throughout the country on last Sunday.

Dr A K Maity, an expert in the field who had written a letter to the Chief Minister in this regard said that the Centre was trying to abolish regional languages in this manner as none of the candidates will like to opt Bengali as a medium of examination from the next year.

"State government should conduct its own medical entrance from next year as various Centre-owned premier institutions conduct their own medical entrance examinations," Dr Maity said.