The Central Bureau Of Investigation has registered an FIR in connection to the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test conducted on May 5 by the National Testing Agency.
The FIR has been registered based on the complaint filed by the Ministry of Education. The FIR has been filed against unidentified persons on a reference from the Education Ministry.
This FIR against unidentified persons comes a day after the Union Education Ministry handed over the case to the CBI.
"Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractice have been reported in NEET-UG which was conducted on May 5," a senior education ministry official told news agency PTI.
"For transparency in the conduct of the examination process, it was decided after a review that the matter be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation," the official added further.
"The Ministry of Education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes, and middlemen, including attempted irregularities. The Ministry has also requested CBI for investigation into the role of public servants, if any, connected with the conduct of the examination and also into the entire gamut of events and the larger conspiracy," read an official statement issued by the CBI.
The agency added that special teams have been formed "to investigate the matter on top priority".
Along with the NEET UG Exam controversy, the CBI has also been ordered to probe into the alleged paper leak related to the UGC NET 2024 Exam.
The NEET Exam was conducted on May 5 for around 24 lakh students across and outside India. ON the day of the exam, several reports of paper leaks surfaced on social media, which were denied by the NTA.
However, after the result of declared on June 4, NTA announced grace marks for around 1,563 candidates, resulting in 67 students emerging as toppers.
After nationwide protests from students, opposition leaders and more, the case reached the Supreme Court where NTA declared it would be cancelling the grace marks of the 1500 students and conducting a re-examination for them.
The re-exam was held on June 23 across India. Those students who do not wish to appear for the re-examination will have proceed for the counselling process based on the original marks they received in the NEET Exam. However, the grace marks will be omitted.
