NEET fiasco: Are Hindutva and centralization basic themes of Modi’s rule?

The funding through electoral bonds was the classic case of centralization and cronyism. Transactions are in the public domain as to how money has been collected by bullying industrialists from vulnerable sectors. They include pharmaceuticals and other industries

The net result of what Modi has done to education and other important fields of Indian life in his 10-year rule has started surfacing. No one would have imagined that his third coronation on the Indian throne would coincide with big scandals, including the share market scam, the NEET scandal, and the UGC-NET cancellation. We will also miss the point if we fail to see his machinations for the throne, similar to their medieval versions. Scandals only reveal how Prime Minister Modi has changed the rules of governing a democracy. We can witness how no one is held accountable for them or gets any punishment. Any news of any suspension or transfer for violating the sanctity of NEET (UG) or UGC-NET is yet to come.

The NEET-UG scandal and the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam display the typical nature of Modi’s governance model. The NEET scandal has all forms of wrongdoing, including paper leaks, cheating, and raising scores arbitrarily. Evidence of anomalies is too strong to ignore. The Bihar police at Patna have arrested people involved in an alleged paper leak, and the Gujarat police at Godhara have busted a cheating racket. Six of the 67 toppers who have scored 100 percent marks are from a single center in Haryana. All of these scorers have chosen not to declare their surnames.

Here, it is also important to discuss the notorious way of raising the scores of the selected aspirants. They have been awarded grace marks for their loss of time. This loss is calculated on the basis of the delay at the center in starting the exam. Interestingly, exam managers at the center have denied any loss of time, yet the National Testing Agency (NTA), the conductor of these centralized exams, awarded grace marks on this basis. Now, the NTA has withdrawn grace marks for 1,563 students after the intervention of the Supreme Court. It is to be noted that the loss of time is calculated by examining the CCTV footage at the centers. How can they examine CCTV footage of hundreds of examination centers across India?

The government is dismissive. It accuses the opposition of “politicizing” the issue and trying to build a "narrative." Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures a fair probe lead on to punish the guilty. However, it is not in sight. Even after the cancellation of UGC-NET soon after the NEET fiasco, no one has been suspended. The paper from UGC-NET was found to be leaked on the Dark Net.

The NEET scandal and the UGC-NET cancellation have exposed the centralized system, created by the Modi government for all coveted examinations leading to elite parts of education, health, engineering, management, and administration in the country. If we compare the existing mechanisms with the earlier decentralized ones, we would find the earlier systems more reliable. Has the growth of a centralized system had anything to do with politics and ideology? It has. Centralization has been the signature theme of Modi’s rule. We can see it in every field. This centralization could be discovered in every part of his politics and governance. It is common knowledge that no minister in his cabinet can make independent decisions. The Prime Minister’s Office decides on every single issue. It includes appointments as well as day-to-day functioning. It is reflected in the not-so-important events of flagging off trains and the inauguration of roads and bridges by the Prime Minister. Centralization has become an overriding principle during Modi’s rule.

Is centralization linked to the ideology Modi and the BJP subscribe to? Has it any relation to the ideology of the Hindu Rashtra of the RSS? In this context, the statement by Rahul Gandhi needs attention. He says that institutions have been captured by the BJP and its parent organization, the RSS. According to him, this capture has resulted in the collapse of the education system.

There is certainly an element of truth in Rahul Gandhi’s allegations. In the case of the NEET scandal and the cancellations of the UGC-NET exam, we find no acceptance of guilt from the NTA chairman. Why is he too confident in his position? According to newspaper reports, he has been closely associated with the RSS. Before coming to head the NTA, he headed the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission, and the Union Public Service Commission under different BJP governments. His strong links with the RSS are said to be the reason behind his impunity.

Let us not forget that the over-encompassing centralization of institutions has close links to cronyism. The so-called single-window systems were put in place in the name of doing away with corruption at different levels of administration. However, it turned out to be single-window corruption aimed at benefiting cronies. The Anna movement came into existence to fight against corruption at all levels, including at the top. The RSS backed the movement, and consequently, the Congress lost elections. Now, we can see how no one talks of freeing investigating agencies, including the CBI and the CVC. A retrospective only reveals that the real target of the RSS was to dislodge the Manmohan Singh government. The Hindutva outfit has now abandoned all such demands as to make institutions accountable and independent.

The funding through electoral bonds was the classic case of centralization and cronyism. Transactions are in the public domain as to how money has been collected by bullying industrialists from vulnerable sectors. They include pharmaceuticals and other industries. The funding must have been controlled by the people at the top. Only a thorough investigation into individual cases of the purchase and encashment of these bonds can fix the people involved in the scam.

Delving deeper into the ideological process can help us understand the association between Hindutva and centralization. No sectarian ideology can survive in a democratic environment. It needs centralization and opacity. Rahul Gandhi may be right in his inferences.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)