New Delhi:

The National Testing Agency (NTA) in its written submission to the Supreme Court last night, reiterated that there has been no systematic failure concerning the NEET UG examination controversy. The response comes amid allegations of unprecedented high marks among top candidates, prompting concerns about potential fraud and systemic issues within the exam’s administration.

The NTA categorically denied the allegations, stating: “The allegations of the Petitioners that there has been a systemic failure as candidates have obtained unprecedented higher marks only in the top range of mark interval are misconceived and thus denied.”

The NTA acknowledged specific incidents under investigation, particularly in Bihar. These incidents, described as “criminal activities”, are being probed by law enforcement agencies. Initially investigated by the Bihar Police, the case was handed over to the Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) and has since been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation at the central level.

As part of its immediate response, the NTA has withheld the results of 17 candidates suspected of being involved in fraudulent activities. These candidates were issued show-cause notices, pending the outcome of the investigation. 

Petitioners claimed that drastic inflation in NEET (UG) 2024 scores resulted from widespread fraud, including paper leaks, OMR tampering, and misuse of compensatory marks. The NTA refuted these claims, attributing the increased scores to a 22-25 per cent reduction in the syllabus and a 15 per cent rise in the number of candidates.

The NTA argued that the increase in marks was consistent across most ranges and did not significantly affect the relative performance of candidates. 

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will today hear more than 40 pleas, including those filed by the NTA, seeking transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts on the NEET-UG row to the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of litigations.

The petitions seek the cancellation of the exam, a re-test, and an investigation into alleged malpractices during NEET-UG 2024. The bench has already received a status report from the CBI on the progress of the probe into these irregularities.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court today issued notice on a fresh batch of petitions filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), seeking the transfer of NEET petitions pending before the high courts, to the top court.

A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that the pleas will be taken up on Thursday along with other petitions alleging paper leak, irregularities in the medical entrance exam.

The NEET-UG exam – held annually for admission to undergraduate medical courses – were conducted on May 5. The controversy broke last month after results were announced.

Results for the medical entrance examination, which was taken by 24 lakh students on May 5, were declared on June 4. Allegations of an exam paper leak soon surfaced. As many as 67 students got a perfect score of 720/720.

Grace marks were given to several students allegedly to compensate for loss of time at the exam centre.

Many student organisations have protested over the alleged NEET irregularities, including wrong question papers being distributed, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets being torn, or delays in the distribution of the sheets.

After the UG paper controversy, and the cancelling of the UGC-NET exam, for appointment to professorial posts in colleges and universities, the NEET-PG exam was cancelled.

The NEET-PG exam will now be held later this month.

The incident also triggered a political row, with the opposition Congress-led INDIA bloc attacking the ruling BJP in Parliament, forcing ruckus and chaos in both Houses as MPs debated the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s joint address.

New Delhi:

A 100-strong mob of workers from the NSUI, or National Students Union of India – the Congress’ student wing – barged into and briefly took over the Delhi office of the National Testing Agency, the central body under scrutiny over question paper leaks and other irregularities in this year’s NEET-UG exams.

There is now a heavy police presence at the NTA office in Delhi’s Okhla area.

Early visuals showed a crowd marching down a tree-lined avenue and into the NTA building, shouting and screaming as they charge inside. One video shows a metal padlock on a door – presumably the front door – with a poster declaring “no more corrupt NTA” attached. Photographs from inside the building show protesters gathering at a courtyard with more posters denouncing the NTA.

Meanwhile, in other videos protesters are shouting “NTA bandh karo, bandh karo“.

संसद से महज़ चंद कदमों के फासले पर, पेपर लीक वाली लीकेज सरकार के विरुद्ध पूरे जोश के साथ गरज रहे हैं IYC के साथी! #IYCSansadGheraopic.twitter.com/lCLAv6BC77

— Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) June 27, 2024

Shortly after storming the building the protesters left.

The student wing’s protest came hours after the Congress’ youth wing, the Indian Youth Congress, protested near Parliament as President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session. On the NEET exam row, she said the government is “committed to a fair investigation” of the entire issue.

READ | Youth Congress Workers Detained Near Parliament Amid NEET Protest

NEET Exam Row

Controversy over the NEET exam – nearly 24 lakh students took the May 5 qualifying exam for entrance to medical courses – broke this month after results were declared.

The first red flags were the unusually high number of perfect scores; a record 67 students, including six from one coaching centre, scored a maximum 720 in the uber-competitive exam. Questions were also asked over the award of ‘grace marks’ – not exam protocol, the NTA said – to 1, 563 students.

After a flurry of arrests by police forces – from Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi – the CBI has taken over the investigation. Agency sources told NDTV a nationwide corruption racket may be involved. Today the agency made its first arrests.

READ | CBI Makes First Arrests In Bihar In NEET-UG Paper Leak Case

CBI sources said one accused – Manish Kumar – facilitated the transport of students to an empty school where they were given the leaked question paper to commit to memory, while the other – Ashutosh – provided lodging.

Supreme Court Notice To NTA

The Supreme Court this afternoon issued a notice to the exam body after a petition claimed the May NEET-UG exam had been rigged. The court directed the NTA to respond by July 8.

READ | Supreme Court Notice To Exam Body Over NEET-UG Row

The petitioners, represented by a coaching centre and other students, argued for students’ right to access their Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets.

The two-judge bench – Justice Manoj Mishra and Justice SVN Bhatti – presiding over the case, questioned the fundamental rights allegedly violated by the NTA’s actions. 

Political War Over Exam Row

The NEET (and UGC-NET) exam row has meant the ruling BJP and the Congress-led opposition have gone head-to-head in the early days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term – over allegations of leaked question papers, preferential marking, and criminals running ‘solver gangs’.

READ | “NEET” Chants In Parliament As Education Minister Takes Oath

On Monday opposition benches heckled Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan – shouting “NEET” and “shame” – as he took his MP’s oath. Mr Pradhan has said the government is taking the issue of leaked question papers seriously and has formed a high-level investigative committee.

Political Blame Game

The sordid scenario took a predictable political twist too, with members of the opposition – particularly the Congress-led INDIA bloc – targeting the ruling BJP. The government hit back by claiming connections between ex-Bihar Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, whose RJD is part of the INDIA group, and Yadavendu. The RJD denied the claim and accused the BJP of trying to shift focus.

READ | In NEET Row, BJP, RJD Trade Claims Of ‘Link’ To Key Accused

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called BJP-ruled states the “epicentre of paper leak”; the reference was to cops busting a massive paper leak racket for the Uttar Pradesh Police Constable exam.

The government has, meanwhile, operationalised a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. A maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for offenders are some of the tough measures under the law.

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New Delhi:

Controversy – from leaked question papers to the award of ‘grace marks’- over the NEET exam for admission to medical courses found mention in President Droupadi Murmu’s speech in Parliament Thursday morning.

Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses – the first in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term, and one likely to be rocked by opposition protests over the NEET row – Ms Murmu said the government is “committed to a fair investigation” and vowed “strict punishment to the culprits”.

“The recent irregularities and paper leaks are being dealt with strongly (and) the government’s focus is on improving the exam process,” the President said amid an uproar over the word ‘NEET’.

“Such incidents (leaked question papers) have happened in many states… there is a need for measures beyond politics,” she told assembled MPs from the ruling and opposition parties.

Concerns over the NEET exam were flagged after an unusually high number of students – a record 67, including six from one coaching centre – scored a perfect 720 in an uber-competitive exam.

There were also red flags over ‘grace marks’ to 1,563 students. On paper these were for students who ran out of time, but it was later confirmed there is no protocol for award of such marks.

The CBI was tasked with investigating allegations of leaked question papers and criminal gangs, dubbed ‘solver gangs’. Multiple arrests – from Bihar, Delhi, and Maharashtra have been made so far.

Among the four men arrested from Bihar was Anurag Yadav, a NEET aspirant who confessed that he, and his friends, had received copies of the question paper 24 hours before the exam.

READ | “Got NEET Paper Night Before Exam”: Arrested Student

Yadav – who was prepping at coaching centre in Rajasthan’s Kota – told cops he had been summoned home by his uncle, Sikandar P Yadavendu, a municipal employee who purchased copies of the question paper from two other accused, and sold them for a profit to Yadav’s friends.

Other arrested include Saneev Mukhiya from Bihar, whom cops have called “the mastermind”, and Iranna Kongalwar from Maharashtra, who ran a coaching centre in the city of Latur.

READ | Half-Shut Windows, Scooters At NEET Leak Accused’s Home

A CBI team also visited a school in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag and questioned its principal.

Nearly 24 lakh students took the NEET exam held on May 5.

Days after the NEET controversy broke the government voided the results of the UGC-NET exam, 48 hours after it was held; this was based on police input that said the paper may have leaked.

The sordid scenario took a predictable political twist too, with members of the opposition – particularly the Congress-led INDIA bloc – targeting the ruling BJP. The government hit back by claiming connections between ex-Bihar Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, whose RJD is part of the INDIA group, and Yadavendu. The RJD denied the claim and accused the BJP of trying to shift focus.

READ | In NEET Row, BJP, RJD Trade Claims Of ‘Link’ To Key Accused

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called BJP-ruled states the “epicentre of paper leak”; the reference was to cops busting a massive paper leak racket for the Uttar Pradesh Police Constable exam.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said a high-level committee will be formed and that the interest of the students is the first priority of the government.

READ |“Forming High-Level Committee, Won’t Spare Anyone”: Minister

Last week CBI sources told NDTV a nationwide corruption racket – run by a handful of key individuals – is likely behind various leaked question papers, including for NEET, UGC-NET (for appointment to professorial posts in colleges and universities) and qualifying exams for state police forces.

READ | Supreme Court Notice Over “Inconsistent Marks” In NEET

Many of these exams are conducted by the National Testing Agency, a central body under fierce scrutiny after the NEET and NET rows, and which received a Supreme Court notice this morning.

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New Delhi:

Investigating the alleged paper leaks of the NEET and NET exams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has dispatched teams to Bihar and Gujarat’s Godhra to gather evidence. According to CBI sources, the investigation will proceed through four phases, scrutinizing every aspect from the creation and printing of exam papers to their distribution across various examination centres nationwide. The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting these exams, has stringent protocols in place to maintain confidentiality, making any breach a matter of grave concern.

CBI officials are also focusing on individuals directly involved in the preparation, printing, transportation, and secure storage of exam papers before the commencement of exams. These roles entail safeguarding the papers until just hours before the tests begin, highlighting potential points of vulnerability in the process.

Utilising a database of 1,000 names and phone numbers compiled during previous investigations, CBI is tracing those who may be connected to the leaks. This data, obtained from multiple cases including Vyapam, aids in identifying suspects and establishing communication patterns that could reveal the nexus behind the leaks.

The controversy erupted after an unusually high number of students scored a perfect 720 in the NEET-UG exam. Initially attributed to grace marks due to a faulty question and logistical issues, subsequent investigations by Bihar Police uncovered a different aspect: the exam paper had been leaked to select candidates a day before the exam.

Just days later, the Education Ministry cancelled the UGC-NET exam claiming that the “integrity of the exam has been compromised”. “To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India has decided that the UGC-NET June 2024 Examination be cancelled,” the ministry said in a statement.

Nearly 24 lakh students had appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 for undergraduate medical courses. Over 9 lakh students took the UGC-NET exam, which assess the eligibility for ‘Assistant Professor’ for ‘Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor’ roles in universities and colleges

Student protests have been raging across the country since amplified by the Opposition, and the matter has snowballed into a huge political row. Cases were also filed in courts, including the Supreme Court, which has come down heavily on the NTA.

The chief of the National Testing Agency or NTA, which conducted the exams, has been fired.

New Delhi/Latur:

A case has been filed against two Maharashtra school teachers for their alleged involvement in the NEET paper leak case. The First Information Report or FIR has been registered in Maharashtra’s Latur.

Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan were picked up by the Nanded Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) yesterday. They used to teach in Zilla Parishad schools and also run private coaching centres in Latur.

Jalil Umarkhan Pathan was taken into custody yesterday after hours-long questioning, while Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav is on the run.

Police have found admit cards and WhatsApp chats of several students on their phones. Both men were in regular contact with a man in the national capital.

Delhi-based Gangadhar helped Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav and Jalil Umarkhan Pathan contact aspirants willing to pay a hefty price for guaranteed success.

The FIR registered by the Maharashtra police also names Gangadhar and Iranna Kongalwar – a trainer at a coaching institute in Nanded. The case has been filed on the charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The CBI was handed over the probe into NEET paper leak case on Saturday as the government vowed to protect the interest of the students. It is also probing the UGC-NET irregularities, which include papers being leaked and sold on the dark net.

The government has also operationalised a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. A maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore for offenders are some of the tough measures under the law

Bihar Police had earlier arrested four persons who had confessed to having leaked the question papers a night before the NEET UG exam. Cops are now probing the role of ‘solver gangs’ that sell leaked exam papers to students and provide proxy candidates to take tests for candidates.

New Delhi:

Hours after the Education Ministry scrapped the 2024 UGC-NET examination – based on input from a federal cybercrime unit run by the Home Ministry that said it may have been compromised – sources told NDTV early inquiries suggest a large corruption racket. Given such concerns, sources said officials charged with the exam’s conduct, including those who set question papers, will be probed.

The officials likely to be investigated range from academics who create the question papers and those who evaluate answers to officials responsible for editing, or checking, prepared question papers. Sources said two to three sets of each question paper are prepared.

The role of officials who print each question paper will be examined, as will that of those who take the printed documents to examination centres across the country. The role of the latter will be scrutinised, as this person has complete access to all question papers.

Meanwhile, after the NET was cancelled, student protests on university campuses across the country, claiming they had flagged paper leaks last week, days before the exam, but no action was taken.

Students at Lucknow University said at least one paper had been leaked and was available for as little as Rs 5,000. This, they said, had been circulated via WhatsApp and Telegram groups from June 16.

READ | NET Aspirants Allege Paper Leak, Day After Exam Got Scrapped

UGC-NET refers to the National Eligibility Test – a qualifying exam for appointments to professorial posts in colleges and universities, as well as for research posts and fellowships.

It is conducted by the NTA, or National Testing Agency, a federal agency that organises competitive exams for various courses, including the NEET, or National Eligibility and Entrance Test, which sorts students to colleges offering undergraduate medical degrees.

The 2024 UGC-NET was conducted on Tuesday but the Education Ministry this afternoon said the exam had been scrapped and results voided.

READ | “Took Proactive Action”: Education Ministry, Under Fire For Scrapping NET

Over 11 lakh students had registered for the exam.

“The matter has been given to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)… a fresh exam will be conducted soon,” Govind Jaiswal, the Joint Secretary, said.

This comes as the NTA, and the government, take flak over allegations of leaked question papers and preferential marking for the NEET exams. Nearly 24 lakh students took that exam – on May 5 – and there have been widespread complaints by candidates across India.

READ | “Got NEET Paper Day Before Exam”: Arrested Student Tells Bihar Cops

The NEET row also reached the Supreme Court; on Tuesday the court came down heavily on the NTA and demanded accountability in case of even “0.001 per cent negligence”. 

Concern over the NEET exam was triggered after rumours of leaked question papers and the fact that 1,563 students received grace marks allowing them to score a perfect 720.

The court was told the grace marks were due to loss of time for some students.

Students and petitioners have demanded a re-test but, for now, the NTA has only agreed to roll-back marks of the 1,563 who got extra marks and has offered them a second chance.

Four men arrested in Bihar confessed to question papers being leaked.

The UGC-NET and NEET rows have also spawned entirely predictable political spats, with the Congress-led INDIA bloc set to attack the ruling BJP ahead of the first Parliament session.

READ | In NEET Row In Bihar, BJP, RJD Trade Claims Of ‘Link’ To Key Accused

In Bihar, for example, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has accused opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav, whose Rashtriya Janata Dal is part of the INDIA bloc, of links between his aide and one of the key accused in this case.

READ | “Emergency”: NET Scrapped Amid NEET Row, Opposition Gets Ammo

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, and Samajwadi Party boss Akhilesh Yadav, the Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, and the Trinamool’s Saket Gokhale have all hit out at the BJP on this topic.

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