Amidst NEET Paper Leak Scandal, Aspirants Demand Re-Exam
New Delhi: Amidst the paper leak scandal involving the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Undergraduate (NEET-UG) Exam, the centralised common entrance test for admission to the MBBS course, the aspirants have started demanding re-conduction of the examination.
Referring to instances where the government swiftly cancels the examinations for confirmed leaks, the candidates are urging the authorities to ensure justice by conducting a re-examination.
This comes after around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of NEET-UG exam. Patna police sources had earlier claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.
Recently, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange of giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.
EOU had earlier mentioned in a release that as per the investigation, the question papers of NEET-UG and their answers were provided to around 35 aspirants before the May 5 exam.
Aspirants Demand Re-Examination:
Amid the reports of NEET paper leak, the aspirants have started expressing their frustration at the social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and demanding a fair re-examination of NEET 2024. Photos of aspirants holding placards saying "We Demand a Fair Examination" have been circulating on social media platforms.
Questioning "where's the justice", an X user wrote, "Government of India is sleeping or busy with elections? Come out of your election otherwise the youth will crash you down. @NTA_Exams conduct re neet asap otherwise wait till the case goes to SC." The post also tagged the Prime Minister of India and the Union Education Minister.
Also Read: NEET Candidates paid up to Rs 50 lakhs for getting Question Papers in Advance: Bihar EOU
Demanding re-neet, the user wrote in another post, "WE DEMAND RE NEET large number of aspirants got the paper a night before. Teachers solved aspirant's question paper at the hall itself And many more.... Is this a joke??"
Meanwhile, an user slammed the whole education system and wrote, "Nowadays this is the actual reality of whole education system...... Or i can say this is the reality of every system. Corruption on its peak."
An X page called NEET UG Leak also opined that the entire examination should be cancelled and it should be conducted fairly again. The X post stated, "It is requested to the government that the examination should be cancelled and it should be conducted fairly again. Unqualified students have been benefited by paper leak and its roots are very deep."
Raising the matter, socio political activist Mukesh Choudhary wrote, "The government should take a decision in the interest of the youth as soon as possible regarding the NEET UG paper leak." He questioned when the aspirants would get justice.
Extending support to the aspirants demanding re-conduction of the examination, another user questioned, "When it is accepted , even by almost all media that #NEET_PAPER_LEAK did happen then Why the Demand of #RENEET is being ignored ? The Students who studied hard and gave #NEETexam with honesty actually deserve #ReNeet2024."
Social activist Dr. Vivek Pandey also raised the matter and he questioned the stand of the National Testing Agency (NTA) denying claims of NEET paper leak. He wrote, "As per @NTA_Exams they don't have any strong evidence of paper leak. Patna police already said in their press release that paper was leaked, even they told the same to court. Then why NTA denying facts ?"
Opining that the charge of conducting NEET should be transferred to AIIMS, Dr. Pandey mentioned in another post, "Facing issues with NTA exams isn't new. From admit card glitches to paper leaks, students have endured. It's time to reconsider, perhaps shift Neet UG's authority from NTA to AIIMS."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Bihar Police had arrested more than two dozen individuals, including 14 impersonators and candidates for cheating in the NEET UG 2024 exam. Among those arrested, an FIR was registered against 14 people, who were accused of impersonating registered candidates during the examination. During the interrogation, the accused known as "solvers" had revealed that Rs 5-10 lakh each was given to several centres by the gang members.
Earlier the National Testing Agency (NTA) had issued a clarification ensuring fair conduct of the NEET 2024 examination and it allowed 120 candidates to reappear for the exam after the question papers were distributed incorrectly at an exam centre. While several social media posts claimed that NEET 2-24 question paper was leaked, NTA had denied such claims.
In the notice, NTA stated that "it assures the public that apart from this isolated incident, the NEET (UG) 2024 examination commenced smoothly and is being conducted peacefully at all other examination centres across the country. The NTA emphasizes that this incident has not compromised the integrity of the examination process at other centres."
