A retest for the NEET-UG examination scheduled for two students at an exam centre in Chandigarh turned out to be a non-event as neither of the students showed up, leading to the gates of the centre being closed after the no-shows.
The exam was slated to take place at St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School in Sector-44, Chandigarh, with all necessary arrangements in place, including the deployment of police and invigilators. An official at the school confirmed that the gates were closed at 1:30 pm after it became apparent that neither student would attend the retest, which was scheduled from 2 pm to 5:20 pm.
The retest was part of a larger effort by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to accommodate 1,563 students who had been awarded grace marks in the NEET-UG due to time losses at six different centres. The NEET-UG exam, crucial for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions, saw an unprecedented number of perfect scores this year, with 67 students achieving a perfect 720.
This anomaly, particularly with six students from a centre in Faridabad, Haryana, achieving perfect scores, has raised suspicions of irregularities. These suspicions are part of a broader context of allegations and controversies surrounding the exam.
The NEET-UG exam was originally held on May 5, with approximately 24 lakh candidates participating. The results were announced on June 4. Since the announcement, there have been multiple allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities, especially in states like Bihar. These allegations have sparked protests across several cities and led to petitions being filed in various high courts and the Supreme Court.
In response to the backlash and the alleged discrepancies, the Centre took significant steps on Saturday, including the removal of NTA director-general Subodh Singh. The investigation into the irregularities has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Union Education Ministry has also established a seven-member panel tasked with reviewing the functioning of the NTA and recommending reforms to ensure the integrity of the examination process.
On Sunday, the CBI registered an FIR concerning the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. This development is part of the broader probe into the conduct and administration of the exam, aimed at addressing the concerns raised by various stakeholders and ensuring that future examinations are conducted fairly and transparently.
