It has been over a month since the controversy over one of India’s major examinations, National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) erupted.

Even as the Supreme Court is seized of the matter and is hearing 14 petitions (10 by students and 4 by the NTA) on July 8, the Centre has dismissed the NTA chief and handed over the investigation of the exam to the CBI.

So, how did this national entrance examination for admissions to MBBS, BDS, Ayush and other related courses across the country come under a cloud and where did it all begin?  

It all began on May 5, 2024 when the NEET-UG examination was conducted for 24 lakh students at 4,750 centres across 571 cities in India.

However, soon after there were allegations of paper leaks and irregularities across centres during the exam. After complaints of loss of exam time, the NTA awarded grace marks to 1,564 students. 

On June 4 when NTA declared NEET-UG 2024 results, 67 students had scored full marks (720/720) and topped the examination. Compared to the 2023 results, when only 2 students had scored full marks, this unusually high number raised serious questions about the exam.

Supreme Court declines to stay on counselling

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court in June which highlighted malpractices and fraud involved in the NEET examination, seeking a stay on counselling and constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

The PIL noted that some students have secured 718 and 719 which is ‘statistically impossible’.

However, the Supreme Court on June 13 reiterated that it would not pass any interim direction to stay the admission counselling process to medical programmes under the NEET UG 2024 examination.

A re-test on June 23 was scheduled for 1,563 candidates and if any of these candidates chose not to appear in the re-test, results based on actual marks would be treated as final. As many as 750 students opted out of the re-test.

Subsequently, UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC and NEET PG were postponed by the Centre.

Why were the exams postponed?

The sudden cancellation of UGC-NET, CSIR-UGC and NEET PG by the government has left the students disillusioned.

The only explanation the Centre gave was that CSIR-UGC was cancelled due to ‘unavoidable circumstances’ and ‘logistical issues’, as per the notice posted in the public domain.

The UGC-NET was available on darknet, and NEET-PG was postponed as a ‘precautionary measure’.

Protests erupted across the country in the states including Bihar, Haryana, MP, and Gujarat as more skeletons tumbled out of the NEET closet.

Facing flak from various quarters over the paper leak in NEET examinations, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the setting up of a high-level committee on June 22 to probe the irregularities while asserting that none of the guilty will be spared.  

The committee will work under the Chairmanship of K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of ISRO and chairman of BoG, IIT Kanpur.

On June 21–a day before the NEET-UG retest, the Centre removed the chief of the National Testing Agency (NTA) Subodh Kumar Singh.

“Shuffling the bureaucrats is no solution to the endemic problem in the Education system rotted by the BJP,” said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a tweet.

According to reports, over 35 lakh youth in India have been affected by the alleged NEET UG, PG, and UGC NET scams and irregularities.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)

Also read:

CBI sleuths suspected to be impersonators, attacked in Bihar village

NEET question paper leak: Probe leads to underbelly of exam mafia