The Congress party called for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has refuted these claims, attributing higher student scores to updates in NCERT textbooks and grace marks awarded for time lost at exam centers. NTA maintains that the changes were necessary and transparent.
New Delhi: The Congress party, called for a thorough investigation, supervised by the Supreme Court, into the alleged “irregularities” in the NEET exams for medical courses. They accused the BJP of deceiving young people and jeopardizing their futures.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted that issues such as paper leaks, manipulation, and corruption have become common in various exams, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
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He stated in a post on X,
“The Modi government is directly responsible for this. Candidates appearing for recruitment exams face numerous irregularities and get entangled in paper leak scandals, which is a direct attack on their futures. The BJP has betrayed the youth of this nation,”
He added,
“We demand a high-level investigation under the Supreme Court’s supervision to ensure that our talented students taking NEET and other exams receive justice,”
The National Testing Agency (NTA) refuted allegations of any irregularities in the examination process. Instead, the agency attributed the higher scores achieved by students to the changes made in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, as well as the provision of grace marks for candidates who experienced delays at examination centers.
In response, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, has condemned this situation as a “scam” involving lakhs of candidates, stating that it is “completely unacceptable and unforgivable.”
He expressed in a Hindi post on X,
“This situation poses a significant risk to the future of countless candidates across the country and warrants an immediate high-level investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court,”
He further claimed,
“This year, there were reports of a paper leak that were suppressed. Now, numerous candidates are alleging that student scores have been inflated. Students report that a record 67 candidates have achieved the top rank, with six of them reportedly from the same examination center.”
This comes following the announcement of the NEET-UG medical entrance exam results on Tuesday.
Ramesh inquired,
“The question arises as to how the students were deceived, who was responsible, and why this result was deliberately announced on June 4 amidst the noise of election results when it was originally scheduled for June 14?”
He further stated,
“There are several questions regarding the NEET results. How did 67 top scorers all achieve 720/720 marks simultaneously? How did eight students from the same center achieve 720/720 marks? Each question was worth four marks, so how did scores like 718-719 come about? The fact that 67 students scored a perfect 720 after the NEET question paper leak raises serious suspicions.”
After the release of the results, there was a significant backlash from students. In response, the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued a clarification. However, the affected students have dismissed this explanation as being “superficial” and “unreliable“.
Ramesh emphasized,
“In such circumstances, it is crucial to restore students’ trust in the integrity of this examination, which can only be achieved through a fair and transparent investigation,”
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticized the Narendra Modi government over the alleged irregularities and demanded an investigation to address the students’ “legitimate grievances.”
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi stated,
“First, the NEET exam paper was leaked, and now students claim there has been a scam in the results as well. Serious concerns are being raised about six students from the same center achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720, among other irregularities.”
The Congress general secretary declared,
“Why is the government ignoring the voices of thousands of students? Students deserve answers to their legitimate questions regarding the manipulation of NEET exam results,”
Gandhi questioned whether it isn’t the government’s duty to address these “legitimate complaints” through an investigation. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, on Thursday, asserted that there might be “huge irregularities” in the NEET-UG results and stressed that the government should be held accountable. He claimed these irregularities have impacted the futures of around 24 lakh children.
Party leader Kanhaiya Kumar insisted that the issues be thoroughly examined and the complaints resolved.
“The investigation should be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and if any discrepancies are found, the exam should be retaken,”
He claimed that no examination in the country is free from manipulation.
He remarked,
“Students are now expressing their frustrations on social media, calling it the ‘leakage government’ once again,”
He added,
“Before elections, Narendra Modi discusses exams, but there is no mention of paper leaks and rigging after the polls. If this situation persists, even the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam will face issues in the future,”
He stated, referring to instances of student suicides in various locations,
“There is an urgent need to take strict measures against paper leaks, as this ‘paper leak mafia’ is jeopardizing the future of students,”
Kumar emphasized that the government must take concrete steps, as mere rhetoric will not suffice, given that this issue concerns the country’s future.
NSUI chief Varun Choudhary criticized the government’s silence on the NEET paper leak and result manipulation.
He said, adding that these incidents cast doubt on the NTA’s credibility,
“The NTA is under suspicion because the paper leak was exposed. Students achieved scores in the exam that seemed impossible,”
In conclusion, the Congress party‘s demand for a Supreme Court investigation into the NEET exam irregularities highlights their commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent examination process.