The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 paper leak exposes the education system of India. This debacle saw a new twist, with the accused admitting to the police that question papers were arranged for certain candidates a day before the exam for nearly Rs 32 lakh.
The shocking confession came from four persons arrested by the Bihar Police, including a NEET aspirant named Anurag Yadav, whose uncle is a junior engineer in the Danapur Municipal Council, and two others – Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand – the purported masterminds behind the paper leak. They sold ‘NEET papers for Rs 32 lakh. The arrested accused said that the question papers were provided a day before the May 5 exam. Anurag Yadav, whose uncle is a junior engineer in the Danapur Municipal Council. Anurag told the police that his uncle Sikander Yadavendu arranged the NEET papers for him in advance.
Anurag was preparing for NEET at the Allen Institute in Kota (Rajasthan). His uncle Sikander Yadavendu called him to Patna and took him to Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar, where he was given some questions and the answer keys for the exam. He was told to memorise the answers. When he appeared for the test the next day, the questions were the same as those given to me on May 4. However, after the test, the police arrested him.
The police also raided the place where the students were given the leaked papers. They also found the remaining pieces of the burned question papers. About 24 lakh aspirants appeared for the NEET on May 5 for admission to medical colleges. The results were announced before time on June 5 but were marred by allegations of paper leaks and the awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 candidates.
The Ministry of Education has requested a comprehensive report from the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police concerning alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination conducted in Patna. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry addressed the issue of grace marks in the NEET-UG 2024 matter, stating that it has been fully resolved. “As regards certain irregularities alleged in the conduct of the examination in Patna, a detailed report has been sought from the Economic Offences Unit, Bihar Police. The government will take further action upon receipt of this report,” the statement noted.
The Supreme Court heard a total of 14 petitions during the hearing. Of these, 10 were filed by 49 students and a student organisation called ‘Student Federation of India’. Meanwhile, the remaining four were submitted by the NTA. In their petitions, the NTA demanded a direction to transfer all pending cases in various high courts linked to the NEET exam row to the top court.
One of the petitions from the students’ side was to constitute a court-appointed committee. The top court, however, asked the lawyer to list the matter for July 8 with the rest of the petitions. The Supreme Court also refused to halt the NEET counselling process, repeating its stand. The bench said that if the examination continues after the final hearing, counseling will also follow.
The Supreme Court refused to halt the NEET counseling and also declined to direct the CBI to take up the probe into the alleged paper leaks and malpractices. The entrance examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centers, and around 24 lakh candidates took it.
The Ministry further emphasized that any individual or organization found to be involved in malpractice concerning the NEET-UG 2024 examination will face the strictest action. Previously, on June 18, the Supreme Court directed the Center and the NTA to thoroughly address any negligence in conducting the NEET-UG 2024 exam. “If there is 0.001 percent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with. All these matters ought not to be treated as adversarial litigation,” observed a vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti.
Several petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 results and a fresh examination, citing allegations of paper leakage and malpractices during the May 5 test. Aspirants have raised concerns over the leakage of the question paper, the awarding of compensatory marks, and anomalies in the examination process.
It’s happening because our institutions have been compromised. Our vice chancellors are appointed not based on merit but because they belong to a specific organisation. The BJP has “penetrated” the country’s education system and destroyed it. The Education Ministry ordered the cancellation of UGC-NET and asked for accountability to be fixed.
