NEET-UG 2024 Controversy: CBI takes up investigation of exam irregularities, FIR lodged

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a new case in connection with the alleged paper leak in the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) medical entrance exam. This move, now dubbed the “NEET-UG 2024 Controversy,” comes after a complaint was filed by the Ministry of Education. The case is aimed at unidentified individuals and revolves around accusations of fraud and criminal conspiracy.

According to a report by NDTV, individuals who have already been arrested by state authorities will also be taken into custody by the CBI. The Ministry of Education has specifically requested the CBI to investigate the potential involvement of any public servants connected to the examination and to explore the “larger conspiracy.”

In a statement, the CBI clarified that “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, including attempted irregularities.” Additionally, the Ministry has urged the CBI to examine the role of public servants associated with the conduct of the examination and to scrutinize the entire sequence of events leading up to the alleged irregularities.

To address this, the CBI has filed a criminal case and initiated an investigation. Special teams have been assembled to prioritize the matter, and these teams are being dispatched to Patna and Godhra, where local police cases have already been registered.

The CBI’s involvement comes a day after the government initially dismissed the possibility of a paper leak. Subsequently, the government announced that the investigation would be handed over to the central agency.

The allegations of irregularities, including cheating and impersonation, surfaced after the declaration of NEET-UG 2024 results on June 4. In response, students have been calling for the exam to be rescheduled for all candidates, not just the 1,500 who received grace marks.

However, the government has not agreed to this demand, and a re-test for the 1,563 candidates who initially received grace marks is currently underway.

The original NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, was taken by 24 lakh students across the country. When the results were announced, it was revealed that 67 students had scored a perfect 720/720 marks, and over 500 students received grace marks. The resulting unusually high cut-off percentage has raised concerns among students about securing admission to colleges.

As protests continued and the investigation progressed, several individuals were arrested in Bihar. Notably, one arrested student confessed to receiving the exam papers the night before the test.

In the wake of the alleged scandal, the head of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG exam, has been removed from their position.

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