Union Education Minister Addresses Concerns Over NEET Irregularities

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met with NEET aspirants to discuss alleged irregularities in the 2024 exam. Students highlighted issues such as delays in counselling and academic calendar uncertainties. The Education Ministry maintains that incidents of paper leaks were isolated and canceling the exam would unfairly impact many candidates. The matter, currently in the Supreme Court, is being investigated by CBI.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday engaged with NEET aspirants at his residence amid ongoing controversies over the 2024 medical entrance exam's conduct. Sources indicated that students expressed concerns regarding uncertainties surrounding the exam conducted in May, as well as delays in the counselling process and the academic calendar.

Despite demands for a retest from various quarters, the education ministry insists that the paper leak incidents were localized. Canceling the entire exam would jeopardize the careers of thousands of honest candidates who cleared the test fairly. The matter has escalated to the Supreme Court, which postponed the hearing on petitions for re-conducting the exam until July 18. Petitioners have also called for a probe into the alleged malpractices.

The ministry informed the court that a data analysis by IIT Madras found no evidence of widespread malpractice or localized high scores. This stance gains significance in light of the Supreme Court's comments on July 8, suggesting the possibility of ordering a re-test if large-scale malpractices were proven. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating the issue. Over 23.33 lakh students took the NEET-UG on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 overseas locations.

In an earlier affidavit, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) argued that canceling the exam would be counterproductive and seriously harm the prospects of many honest candidates. The NEET-UG, conducted by the NTA, is the gateway for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other allied courses in both government and private institutions nationwide.