In a significant development concerning the 2024 NEET-UG examination malpractices, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered new details implicating candidates from several states in fraudulent activities linked to a center in Gujarat’s Godhra.
Candidates Pressured to Choose Gujarati Language
According to recent findings, candidates from states such as Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, who appeared for the NEET-UG exam at this center, were instructed by the accused to select Gujarati as their exam language.
This directive, allegedly aimed at facilitating local individuals involved in the malpractice, enabled them to fill out answer sheets on behalf of these out-of-state candidates. The CBI’s investigation further revealed that these candidates were also coerced into falsely declaring Gujarat’s Panchmahal or Vadodara as their permanent addresses.
Moreover, the probe highlighted that the same operators managed multiple examination centers involved in the malpractice. The CBI has intensified its efforts in uncovering the extent of these irregularities, which have sparked widespread concern about the integrity of the NEET-UG examination process.
So far, the CBI has taken custody of five out of the six accused, including Dixit Patel, the owner of Jai Jalaram School in Godhra, which was one of the centers under scrutiny. Patel stands accused of allegedly extorting Rs 10 lakh from each student to guarantee their success in the NEET-UG exam.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the full scope of the malpractices, underscoring the need for stringent measures to uphold the credibility and fairness of national-level examinations like NEET-UG.