Education Minister Rebuts NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Allegations Amid Political Clash with Congress President

Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan Responds to NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Allegations

In response to allegations made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge about a paper leak in NEET UG 2024, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan firmly defended the integrity of the exam process. Pradhan stated, "In the NEET exam case, NTA is committed to take appropriate action by following the instructions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. As per the instructions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the examination of 1563 students will be conducted again."

Pradhan emphasized that no concrete evidence of rigging, corruption, or paper leak has been found so far in the NEET exam. He reminded the Congress that the Central Government has passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act this year, which includes strict provisions to prevent such issues. "Congress should not be under the misconception that if any nexus is found, no action will be taken against it. The provisions of this Act will be implemented very carefully," he added.

NEET UG 2024 Accusations and Counter-Accusations

Pradhan accused Congress of playing politics with students' futures. "Playing politics on the future of students is an old habit of Congress. Instead of making political gains, Congress should contribute to the development of India," he said. He further noted that such political maneuvers spread confusion and affect the mental peace of students, especially as the NEET counseling process is about to start.

In contrast, Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Modi government, alleging widespread corruption in the NEET exam process. "Grace Marks was not the only problem in NEET exam. There has been rigging, papers have been leaked, corruption has taken place," Kharge tweeted. He demanded a Supreme Court-supervised investigation into what he termed the "NEET scam," accusing the Modi government of ruining the future of millions of students over the past decade through paper leaks and rigging.

Supreme Court Verdict on NEET UG Exam

On June 13, the Supreme Court refused to bar the ongoing NEET-UG 2024 counseling process despite multiple petitions challenging the examination's legitimacy. The court emphasized the importance of proceeding with counseling and admissions without delay. The National Testing Agency (NTA) informed the court that scorecards of 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates, who were previously awarded grace marks, have been canceled. These students will have the option to retake the exam on June 23, 2024, with results expected before June 30, 2024.

The Supreme Court stated, “These candidates will be informed of their actual scores, without compensatory marks. A re-exam will be conducted for the affected 1,563 candidates. Results of those who don’t wish to re-appear will be declared based on their actual marks.”