Data of 2.4L NEET candidates on sale online at Rs.2L
In yet another sign of how far India has come in terms of significance of the internet, personal data of 2.4L NEET candidates of 2018 are now available for sale online at Rs. 2L. This includes phone numbers, email IDs and even home addresses. For institutes, this might serve as a treasure trove as they hunt for unselected candidates to drive up their revenues.
Name, phone number, email IDS: Name it, they have it
According to The Wire, the home page of one of these websites selling data lands you right on their business proposition. "Our database prices will be on the higher prices. But because of that reason, limited clients will have access to our database and that gives scope to have good conversions," it declares. It has all information: name, NEET score/rank, date of birth and more.
So why is there mention of "security reasons"?
To lure clients, the website offers three samples for free. The Wire called up some students it had tracked through this process and found the data genuine. It blocks more access than that citing "security reasons," but it is actually a way to ensure buyers pay up.
But what use would this data be to anyone?
Such databases can be of immense use to the right client. In this case, private colleges and universities can track those who had failed to qualify the NEET and offer them admission into related courses or coaching programs. Last year, data of more than 10.5L candidates who had appeared for various MBA entrance exams were leaked on sites like 'kensils.co.in,' 'stduentsdatabase.in' and 'allstudentdatabse.in.'
What do laws say about this?
The source of the data isn't yet known. It could have been leaked by officials at the CBSE, which is in charge of the exam; coaching institutes; or by accidental leak or hacking. However, out of 13L candidates this year, information of only 2.4L is available. Sections 43A and 72A of the IT Act, though applicable in some cases, are rarely used.
