Education Minister Denies NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Allegations in Parliament Amid SC Hearing

The statement comes as the Supreme Court commenced hearing on a batch of petitions related to the NEET-UG 2024 exam, which is under scrutiny for alleged irregularities

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday addressed the Lok Sabha, asserting that “there is no evidence of paper leak” in the last seven years, as opposition MPs raised concerns over the NEET exam issue. Pradhan emphasized, "I can say with full responsibility that more than 240 exams have been conducted successfully after NTA.”

The statement comes as the Supreme Court commenced hearing on a batch of petitions related to the NEET-UG 2024 exam, which is under scrutiny for alleged irregularities. The Supreme Court Bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, resumed the hearing amid serious allegations of a paper leak, affecting nearly 24 lakh students who appeared for the exam.

Chief Justice Chandrachud had previously deferred the hearing to July 22, requesting a copy of the Bihar police report. Over 40 petitions have been filed, including requests for the exam's cancellation, a re-test, and an investigation into the alleged irregularities.

The NEET UG 2024 paper leak controversy has also sparked significant unrest in Parliament. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, criticized the government, highlighting systemic issues in the examination system. "It is obvious to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system, not just in NEET but in all the major examinations. The minister (Dharmendra Pradhan) has blamed everybody except himself. I don't even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here," Gandhi remarked.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore submitted an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the alleged irregularities in the NEET and UGC-NET exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Tagore urged the House to suspend all listed business to address the "unprecedented cases of paper leaks."

The Budget Session of Parliament also began today, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present the Economic Survey on Monday and the Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday. The opposition is expected to challenge the PM Narendra Modi government on various issues, including the NEET-UG controversy, during the session.

This Supreme Court hearing coincides with the Budget Session, underscoring the significance of the issue. Previous sessions of Parliament saw several adjournments, with opposition parties demanding a debate on the NEET-UG controversy, while the government aimed to prioritize the motion of thanks on the President's address during the last session held in June.Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday told the Lok Sabha that ‘there is no evedience of paper leak has been found in the last 7 years’ as opposition MPs raised NEET exam issue.

Further mentioning that the matter is going on before the Supreme Court, he said “I can say with full responsibility that more than 240 exams have been conducted successfully after NTA…”

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