Amidst growing demands from the opposition to re-conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday emphasized that isolated incidents of malpractices should not overshadow the achievements of the majority of students who cleared the examination fairly.
During a press conference, Pradhan announced the formation of a high-level panel to scrutinize and improve the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET exam. He urged opposition parties to refrain from politicizing the issue and assured that strict actions would be taken against those found guilty, including NTA officials.
The minister’s announcement comes in response to suspicions raised after the NEET results were declared on June 4, earlier than the expected date of June 14. The examination, held on May 5 across 4,750 centers, saw participation from around 24 lakh candidates. Notably, 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720, a first in NTA’s history, with six of these top scorers from a single center in Haryana’s Faridabad. Allegations have surfaced that grace marks might have contributed to the unusually high number of perfect scores.
Pradhan also addressed concerns regarding the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination, which selects junior research fellows, assistant professors, and PhD scholars. He revealed that the exam paper had been leaked on the Darknet, reinforcing the need for robust security measures. “Let us have faith in our systems and no irregularities or malpractices will be tolerated by the government,” he asserted.
The newly announced high-level committee will be tasked with reviewing the NTA’s operations and suggesting improvements to ensure the integrity of future examinations.