The government directs the CBI to investigate allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG exam
The Education Ministry on Saturday announced that it has transferred the issue of alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam 2024 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive probe.
“For transparency in the conduct of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, after a review, has decided to entrust the matter to the CBI for investigation,” the ministry said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) had conducted the NEET-UG in pen-and-paper mode on May 5 and announced the results on June 4.
The Ministry of Education has entrusted the issue of alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) exam 2024 to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation. pic.twitter.com/KO95a5a8nD
— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) June 22, 2024
The medical entrance exam was taken by about 2.4 million students in 4,750 centers across the country. As many as 67 students scored a perfect score of 720, unprecedented in the history of the NTA, with six from a single center in Faridabad appearing on the list, raising suspicions of manipulation.
“Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractice have been reported in NEET-UG, which took place on May 5,” the ministry said in its statement.
The decision to transfer the case to the CBI comes after a series of decisions on alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations at the national level, including the resignation of NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh and the formation of a seven-member high-level committee to monitor transparency and review the functioning of the inspection agency.
The CBI is also probing the integrity violation that led to the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam after several questions were found to have been leaked on the darknet.
The Center on Friday also operationalized the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, aimed at curbing malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. The law has provisions for a maximum imprisonment of ten years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for violators.
The Ministry of Education added that the government is committed to ensuring the sanctity of examinations and protecting the interests of students.
First print: June 23, 2024 | 12:34 pm IST