The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over five cases related to alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG examinations in Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, officials announced on Monday. The CBI has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIRs, according to PTI. The agency is also expected to take over another case from Latur, Maharashtra.
Officials stated that, aside from the Bihar case, the remaining four cases seem to involve isolated incidents of cheating and impersonation by local officials, invigilators and candidates.
On Sunday, the CBI registered a criminal case, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) issued show-cause notices threatening to debar 17 candidates in Patna. This action was based on a report from the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit sent to the Centre.
The government stated, “The NTA conducted the NEET (UG) Examination on May 5, 2024, in OMR (pen and paper) mode. Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and malpractices have been reported. For transparency in the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, after a review, has decided to entrust the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation.”
The NTA is facing criticism over these alleged irregularities, sparking several protests across the country. Protestors and political parties are calling for the disbanding of the NTA. Concerns were heightened by the fact that an unprecedented 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720 out of 720.