Education Minister admits irregularities in NEET UG; Centre, NTA to face probing queries in SC

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has admitted to "some irregularities" in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test conducted on May 5 for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges in the country, amid pendency of a batch of petitions before the Supreme Court for cancellation of the examination.

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"Some irregularities have come to light in two places. I assure students and parents that government has taken this seriously. Even if big officials of 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.

A controversy has erupted with the declaration of NEET UG results on June 4, which showed as many as 67 students scored perfect 720 marks while a number of candidates obtained the maximum marks from one Centre. The Bihar as well as Delhi police had separately lodged FIR on complaints of paper leakage. The Gujarat police also registered an FIR and made some arrests on similar allegations of irregularities.

It is to be noted an apex court bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud would consider the matter on July 8. However, the court had declined to suspend the counselling which is set to begin on July 6.

The clutch of petitions pending before the court demanded cancellation of examination and the results and holding of fresh test. The Centre and the NTA are likely to be faced with probing questions as the pleas also demanded CBI enquiry into alleged paper leakage with at least three state police lodging separate FIRs.

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The Narendra Modi government which has just began its third term would face the major challenge in its initial days with all opposition parties raring to raise the issue in upcoming Parliament session by riding on students demand to conduct fresh examination.

The National Testing Agency, which initially denied any irregularities in the conduct of examination, itself has come forward to withdraw grace and compensatory marks to 1563 students due to time loss and grant such students option to appear in retest to be held for them on June 23.

It is time for the government agencies to pull up its socks and plug any loopholes in the conduct of such examinations where a massive number, i e, 24 lakh candidates participated in order to restore their confidence in the purity and fairness of the process.