NEET-UG controversy: Centre hands over probe to CBI, shunts NTA chief

Facing flak over discrepancies in competitive exams, the BJP-led Central government announced a flurry of decisions on Saturday to contain the damage wreaked by the row, including shunting the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) chief, forming a panel to review the agency’s functioning and handing over the probe into the alleged NEET-UG irregularities to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Central government also postponed the NEET-PG entrance exam. Last week, the government cancelled the UGC-NET exam after it found that its question paper had been circulated on the darknet and Telegram.

Here are 10 points on the NEET, NET row:

Fixing responsibility for the embarrassing row, the Centre on Saturday removed NTA director general Subodh Singh. He has been put on “compulsory wait” in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) till further orders.

India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) chairman and managing director, Pradeep Singh Kharola has been assigned the additional charge of the NTA till the appointment of a regular incumbent. NTA is the nodal agency that conducts a host of entrance exams every year, including UGC-NET and NEET.

The Ministry of Education of the Central government formed a seven-member panel to review the NTA’s functioning and recommend reforms for the body. The panel will be led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan.

The panel includes former AIIMS Delhi director Randeep Guleria, Central University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor B J Rao, professor emeritus in the department of civil engineering at IIT Madras, K Ramamurthy. People Strong co-founder and Karmayogi Bharat board member Pankaj Bansal, IIT Delhi’s dean of student affairs Aditya Mittal and Ministry of Education joint secretary Govind Jaiswal are also among its members.

“We stand for transparent, tamper-free and zero error examination. A panel has been formed on exam reforms, strict action has been taken against officials and the case has been handed over to CBI,” said union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He added that the government will safeguard the interests of the students at any cost.

The ministry pointed out that cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractices had been reported in the conduct of NEET-UG. It said to maintain transparency, the matter will be handed over to the CBI for “comprehensive investigation”.

The union health ministry announced on Saturday night that it was deferring the NEET-PG entrance exam as a “precautionary measure” in the wake of the allegations of irregularities in several exams. The decision came a day after the Joint CSIR-UGC-NET was postponed. Pradhan, however, denied any leak of CSIR-NET paper and said the exam was postponed due to logistical reasons.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed the education system has been ruined under the rule of Narendra Modi.

“Now NEET-PG is also postponed. This is another unfortunate example of the education system that has been ruined under the rule of Narendra Modi. Now it is clear — Modi, who used to silently watch the spectacle every time — is completely helpless in front of the paper leak racket and education mafia,” he wrote on X in Hindi.

The allegations of discrepancies in NEET-UG cropped up after a whopping 67 medical aspirants scored full marks in one of the toughest exams in the country. Six of the students belong to a single centre in Haryana.

There had also been uproar over granting grace marks to some aspirants. Over 1500 students have been given the option to appear for the exam again.

Last week, the Bihar police detained six people in Deoghar in connection with the alleged NEET paper leak. It had arrested 13 people, including prime suspect Sikandar Yadavendu.

The Central government has notified a law to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations.

The law entails provisions of a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to ₹1 crore for offenders. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was approved by President Droupadi Murmu four months ago.