Year Ender 2024: From Paper Leaks To Loan Schemes For Students, A Look At Major Developments

Recognizing the challenges in Indian education, the government introduced several schemes to support students at various academic levels, scroll down and take a look at major developments.

The year 2024 was marked by multiple exam paper leak scandals, leading to protests, cancellations, and debates about the fairness of India’s exam system. From medical entrance tests to state recruitment exams, these controversies caused stress for students and raised concerns about the accountability of exam authorities.

Paper Leak cases

NEET UG exam: The student community expressed their concerns over irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024. The results, announced on June 4, sparked widespread outcry, with aspirants raising issues like grace marks being awarded to over 1,500 students, an unusually high number of perfect scores, and allegations of a leaked question paper. In response, various student organizations across the country organized protests, demanding a retest and a comprehensive investigation to ensure the examination's transparency.

UP Police Constable exam: In February, UP Police constable exam candidates protested, demanding a re-exam. They claimed the exam was unfair as the question paper was shared on social media just hours before the test. Around 48 lakh candidates had applied for 60,244 constable posts.

BPSC Controversy: In Bihar, students have been protesting for over a week, demanding the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024, conducted by BPSC, due to claims of a question paper leak.

UPPCS and BPSC Normalisation Protest

UPPSC Exam: Thousands of UPPSC job aspirants are protesting outside the commission's headquarters in Prayagraj. They are opposing the conduct of the Civil Services (Preliminary) and RO/ARO exams in multiple shifts and the use of score normalization.

BPSC Exam: A large number of BPSC aspirants protested in Patna, demanding the withdrawal of the proposed rule changes for the 70th BPSC Preliminary Exam. The candidates want the exam to follow a "one shift, one paper" format instead of the suggested normalization process. On Friday evening, the police used lathicharge to disperse the protesters.

One Nation One Subscription

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet has approved a new scheme called 'One Nation One Subscription' to provide access to research articles and journals across the country. The scheme aims to make academic and scientific knowledge easily available, boosting research and innovation nationwide. Around Rs 6,000 crore has been allocated for this initiative, which will run as a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) for three years: 2025, 2026, and 2027.

No Detention change

The central government has removed the 'no-detention policy' for students in classes 5 and 8 in its schools. This means students who fail the year-end exams can now be held back, officials said. Since the Right to Education (RTE) Act was amended in 2019, at least 16 states and two Union Territories have already ended the 'no-detention policy' for these classes.

Vidya Lakshmi Scheme

The PM-Vidyalaxmi Scheme, launched in 2024, aims to reduce financial stress for deserving students. It provides low-interest education loans to undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in the top 860 institutions across India.

Internship scheme

The Prime Minister's Internship Scheme has seen a huge response, with 6.21 lakh applications received for 1.27 lakh positions. The selection process is currently underway. Launched in the Union Budget 2024, the scheme aims to offer internships in the top 500 companies over five years. It focuses on improving employability and giving young people practical industry experience.

PM SHRI schools

The PM SHRI School initiative, launched by the Government of India, is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at developing over 14,500 schools. These schools will be managed by Central, State, UT Governments, or local bodies, including Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS). The goal is to create schools where every student feels valued and supported, enjoys a safe and encouraging learning environment, and has access to diverse learning opportunities. These schools will also ensure quality infrastructure and resources to promote effective learning for all students.

SATHEE App

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced the SATHEE scheme, a free program to help students prepare for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, and SSC. This initiative aims to support students from all backgrounds, especially those in rural and remote areas, by offering quality learning materials, expert guidance, and self-assessment tools.