Demand to Reconduct NEET UG 2024 Intensifies Amid Paper Leak Controversy

The NEET UG 2024 results, announced on June 4, showed an unprecedented 67 students achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720, raising suspicions of malpractice.

The clamor for the reconduct of the NEET UG 2024 exam is growing louder, spurred by the recent confession of Anurag Yadav, an accused in the NEET paper leak case. Student organizations are rallying for the exam's cancellation and calling for the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Anurag Yadav's confession has revealed a detailed account of the paper leak. Yadav, hailing from Samastipur, confessed to the police that he received the leaked question paper a day before the exam through his uncle, a Junior Engineer. The paper, identical to the one used in the exam, was memorized overnight. Yadav's involvement was facilitated by Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar, with Amit Anand identified as the mastermind behind the leak.

According to Yadav, there was a pricing strategy for the leaked papers, and students were prepared with answers the day before the exam. The confession, a copy of which is held by Shiksha, has ignited further outrage among students.

The NEET UG 2024 results, announced on June 4, showed an unprecedented 67 students achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720, raising suspicions of malpractice. The NTA's decision on June 13 to re-examine students awarded grace marks has failed to quell student outrage. The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest outside Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s residence in Delhi, demanding justice over the NEET and UGC-NET issues.

RTI activist Dr. Vivek Pandey took to social media, urging Prime Minister Modi to intervene. He tweeted, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you are requested to take cognizance of the irregularities in #NEET 2024. 24 lakh youth of India and their 1 crore family members have great expectations from you. Rigging has been found in the investigation, it should be canceled, and the examination should be conducted again.”

Mayukh Biswas, General Secretary of the Students Federation of India (SFI), demanded the resignation of the Education Minister and the scrapping of the NTA. In a statement, the SFI central executive committee condemned the NTA and the Ministry of Education for their handling of national examinations, highlighting the paper leak in NEET, discrepancies in the CUET exam, and the compromise in the integrity of the UGC NET 2024 exam. They called for a transparent and independent investigation into these irregularities and the establishment of a more accountable examination system under the direct purview of the UGC.

Making serious allegations against Modi Government, Indian National Congress Party has stated that in the last 5 years, papers of 43 recruitment exams have been leaked in the country and these paper leaks have directly affected 1.75 crore candidates. “While Narendra Modi is silent in this entire matter, the Education Minister is not ready to accept that the paper has been leaked. The Modi government is continuously trying to save the NTA, which conducted the NEET and UGC-NET exams,” alleged INC.

On June 20, the Supreme Court held a hearing regarding the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination. The bench, comprising Justice Vikram Nath and SVN Bhati, reviewed four petitions filed by the NTA. The Supreme Court refused to halt NEET counseling and put on hold all ongoing NEET-UG cases in the High Courts. The court issued a notice to the NTA, demanding a response by July 8. During a previous hearing on June 18, the court emphasized the need for thorough accountability and improvements if any mistakes were made by the NTA and Centre.

On the other hand, The Ministry of Education has requested a detailed report from the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police concerning the NEET-UG 2024 exam irregularities in Patna. The Ministry reassured that concerns regarding grace marks have been addressed and reiterated its commitment to maintaining examination integrity and protecting students' interests.

In response to the scandal, the NTA announced it would invalidate the scorecards of 1,563 candidates who received grace marks due to exam disruptions, allowing them to retake the exam. As investigations continue and legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on ensuring the fairness and integrity of one of India's most crucial entrance exams.