The Education Ministry on Saturday night declared that they handed over the the probe into alleged irregularities regarding the medical entrance exam NEET to the CBI seeking a thorough investigation.
This announcement came hours after the removal of National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh. A seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan was also created for exam reforms.
A senior Education Ministry official told PTI, "Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation and malpractices have been reported in NEET-UG which was conducted on May 5."
He also added, "For transparency on 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 comprehensive investigation."
According to the official, the government aims to maintain the integrity of exams and safeguard students' interests. They emphasized that severe consequences await any person or group caught engaging in irregularities.
On May 5, the examination took place at 4,750 centers with approximately 24 lakh candidates. Initially scheduled for June 14, the results were announced earlier on June 4.
Allegations of irregularities sparked protests in multiple cities, legal battles, and disputes between opposing political parties.
A new petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court, requesting the CBI and ED to investigate alleged irregularities in NEET-UG.
The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case and file a report before the apex court.
The top court had earlier sought responses from the Centre, the NTA and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe.
The apex court had also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts.
As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities.
There was also controversy over grace marks awarded to students to make up for the loss of time at six centres. The Centre later told the apex court that the grace marks are being scrapped and these students would be given an option of a retest.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will on Sunday conduct the retest for these 1,563 candidates.
The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
