NEET 2024 Row Highlights: Opposition raise ‘NEET’ jeers as Dharmendra Pradhan takes oath

A CBI team from Delhi reached the office of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police in Patna on Monday morning in connection with its investigation into the allegations of irregularities in medical entrance exam NEET-UG, officials said.

Opposition leaders raised slogans against the NDA government over the NEET row as Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took oath as MP in Lok Sabha.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav said, “NEET, NET, the NDA Government that is playing with the future of the youth of the country and paper leak of all examinations - is it destiny or conspiracy? This is a conspiracy to finish the talented youth of the country and bring in such youth who will follow them blindly...Paper leak of all examinations is happening. This is betrayal to this country, to the youth.”

A CBI spokesperson said, “The Ministry of Education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen.”

As many as 813 of the 1,563 candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks in the NEET-UG exam appeared for a retest on Sunday, officials said. The retest was conducted at seven centres.

Rahul Gandhi-led opposition is expected to bring key focus to the NEET-UG 2024 and UGC-NET issue in the Lok Sabha today as the 18th session kicks off on June 24.

There has been no provision to give grace marks for "loss of exam time," and it was done through an "odd method," sources at the Education Ministry said on Sunday while admitting shortcomings on the part of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in conducting the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance-Test (NEET) (UG) Examination 2024. (ANI)

CBI team is expected to visit Patna on Monday and may take those arrested in the NEET-UG paper leak case to Delhi for questioning, officials said. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police has arrested 18 people in connection with the case so far, they said. (PTI)

The NTA, which conducted the NEET-UG exams, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities in the exams. This resulted in several protests across the country, with protestors and political parties demanding to disband the NTA. An unprecedented 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720 marks out of 720, which added to the concerns.

As countrywide protests and litigation continued, the CBI filed the FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in NEET-UG under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) among others, following a reference from the Union Education Ministry.

"The postponement of NEET-PG has left me depressed. I was eager to appear since I was preparing for it for months. The students of our country are feeling insecure and are losing faith in the exam system," said student Sakshi Shitole.

Congress MP Shafi Parambil told ANI, “Even the LKG exams have more credibility than this. The government's involvement in this is not at all neat and clean... This is the most heinous crime a government can do against the future of a country... This is done on the basis of merit. You cannot leak these question papers because those people who come out of these exams are considered to be our future doctors and engineers.”

In an optional NEET-UG 2024 retest held for students whose grace marks were scrapped after the matter reached the Supreme Court, only 813 of the 1,563 such candidates appeared on Sunday.

Bihar and Gujarat governments issued notifications on Sunday to transfer cases of NEET-UG paper leaks registered by their police to the CBI, paving the way for the central agency to take over the probe.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar told ANI, “It is disappointing that students have been disadvantaged. But as Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said the government is committed to making sure that these examinations are done in a secure manner and those who are meritorious are the ones who benefit from these exams, not those who are corrupt and crooked. I think the steps that have been taken by the government of India are good and solid steps that will give a lot of confidence to the students.”

The 18th Lok Sabha will commence today and the NEET issue is expected to be the top focus of opposition leaders in the new Parliament session.

Sources at the Education Ministry told ANI that Centre's seven-member high-level committee formed to oversee transparency and look into the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to hold a meeting today.

Congress MP Hibi Eden said, “NEET controversy is one of the biggest scams in India right now. I don't think this has happened accidentally. It has been happening for many years now. States like Tamil Nadu have already declared that the qualifying exam should be the criteria for medical entrance examination. A lot of people and money is involved and a lobby is working on this. An independent enquiry under the SC judges should happen in this and the entire process should be cancelled.”

DMK leader TKS Elangovan said on Sunday that his party wanted the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test to be abolished, adding that the entrance examination favours the rich and is riddled with "fraud."

"We want the NEET exam to be abolished. Whoever gets good marks in school, should be given admission to professional colleges. Why is there any need for NEET? If there is a NEET, then there is fraud," Elangovan told ANI.

The Bihar government issued a notification on Sunday evening to transfer the case in connection with alleged irregularities in NEET-UG to the CBI, paving the way for the central agency to take over the investigation.

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police arrested five more suspects in the NEET UG paper leak case, who were detained from Deoghar in Jharkhand on Saturday, taking the total number of those apprehended to 18.