Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal sharply criticized the BJP government on Saturday for allegedly mishandling the NEET-UG Exam 2024, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and for jeopardizing the future of medical aspirants. Venugopal called for an exhaustive inquiry into the exam's irregularities.
Taking to his official X handle, Venugopal stated, "The BJP government has totally botched the NEET examinations and destroyed the future of our medical aspirants." He accused the government of persisting with the exam despite significant opposition from many states, particularly Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
"Now, it is clearly unable to administer it effectively, and we are now seeing the paper leak at the national level. This, coupled with multiple irregularities, raises alarm about how the exam is being conducted," Venugopal continued.
To address the concerns of students and their parents, Venugopal wrote a letter to K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, demanding an impartial inquiry. The letter also sought Murthy's attention regarding the complaints and concerns about the conduct and results of NEET-UG 2024.
In his letter, Venugopal highlighted several issues. "As you are aware, the NTA released the results of NEET-UG 2024 on June 4, 2024. The results have been marred by allegations of irregularities and paper leaks following the inflated marks of some medical aspirants."
The letter pointed out that 67 students secured the top rank in the medical entrance exam, with six candidates from the same exam center in Haryana. "The average marks out of 720 qualified candidates is 323.55 for the 2024 exam. It has also been a concern where the NTA has awarded grace marks to a few candidates, however not disclosing the methodology they have used to award those grace marks," Venugopal stated.
Venugopal also addressed the issue of paper leaks and irregularities in his letter. "Initially, there were allegations of paper leak which has been now followed with massive irregularities in the result declaration."
Describing the irregularities, he cited technical glitches in the online examination platform and allegations of malpractice at certain test centers. "Such instances not only undermine the credibility of the examination process but also jeopardize the future aspirations of countless students who have dedicated significant time and effort in preparing for this crucial examination," the letter emphasized.
Venugopal lamented the loss of credibility for the NEET exam due to these allegations. "Given this critical situation, I urge the Ministry of Education and the NTA to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the reported irregularities of the NEET-UG 2024 exam," he wrote.
He called for scrutinizing all aspects of the examination process, including setting question papers, conducting examinations, and monitoring test centers, to identify and address any lapses. "I also urge the implementation of immediate measures to restore the exam's integrity and reassure the faith of students and the general public," Venugopal added.
In response, the NTA on Saturday established a committee to review the grace marks awarded to NEET-UG 2024 candidates amid allegations of mark inflation. The Ministry of Education also formed a committee to examine the grace marks given to over 1,500 candidates.
The Director General of the NTA, Subodh Kumar Singh, said, "They (the committee) will meet soon, and they will be able to submit their recommendation within a week."
Earlier, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctors Network demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. A total of 20.38 lakh students registered for the exam, with 11.45 lakh candidates qualifying. The result, announced on Tuesday, saw 67 students achieving an All India Rank (AIR) 1.
