NEET-UG row: Pradhan says ‘lot of improvement needed in NTA’ after oppn attack

As the ongoing row over the NEET-UG 2024 results escalated with the opposition continuing its attack on the government demanding a probe by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that a lot of improvement is required in the National Testing Agency (NTA) while reiterating that no culprit will be spared.

Pradhan was speaking to the media in his constituency in Odisha on Sunday. The education minister said that some issues of mismanagement have come to light at two places in connection with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) exam.

“The initial information was that some students were given grace marks due to less time…secondly, some irregularities have come to light at two places. I assure the students and parents that the government has taken this seriously. We have received the information, we will take all the issues to a decisive stage.”

“Even if senior officials of the NTA are found guilty, they will not be spared. A lot of improvement is required in NTA. The government is concerned about this. No culprit will be spared. They will get the harshest punishment,” Pradhan said.

The Union education minister had earlier dismissed the allegations of a paper leak in the NEET-UG 2024 exam and had said that the government would not tolerate malpractice and irregularities in the conduct of the exam.

The opposition on Sunday escalated its attack on the government and demanded that a Supreme Court-appointed committee investigate the NEET-UG 2024 results.

Highlighting the reports on the ongoing case of alleged paper leak in Bihar, Congress said that injustice was done to 2.4 million students, their dreams were crushed, for which only the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is responsible.

“But unfortunately, running away from responsibility has been an old habit of PM Modi and his ministers. We demand that this matter should be investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court and the students should get justice at all costs,” the Congress said on its official handle on X.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that there are serious questions on the integrity of the NTA itself and the manner in which NEET is designed and administered. “Hopefully the new Standing Committee(s) when they get constituted will take up an in-depth review of NEET, NTA and NCERT. This should receive the highest priority,” he said in a post on X.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin also raised the issue pointing out that even the Gujarat Police have registered a case over allegations of invigilators tampering with OMR sheets in exchange for monetary benefits, involving cheques worth several crore rupees and eight blank cheques.

“This conspiracy, implicating a school principal, a physics teacher, and several NEET coaching centres, underscores the urgent need for systemic change. From martyr Anitha to the countless students who have tragically taken their own lives, we have witnessed enough. NEET, an examination masquerading as a measure of merit, has repeatedly revealed itself as a pervasive scam affecting all levels of society. The Union government must stop defending this anti-student, anti-social justice, and anti-poor NEET system,” he said in a post on X.

Rajya Sabha MP and former Union education minister Kapil Sibal also demanded a probe by Supreme Court-appointed officials into allegations of irregularities in NEET-UG and said that all political parties should raise the matter strongly in the upcoming session of Parliament.