Telangana scraps medical entrance after question paper leak

The Telangana government on Tuesday scrapped the TS EAMCET-II 2016 examination in wake of leakage of the question paper last month and announced schedule for fresh exam for admission to medical courses in the state.

As per the new schedule announced by the Telangana State Council for Higher Education, EAMCET (Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine Common Entrance Test) III will be held on September 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The council appointed Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) registrar Yadaiah as the EAMCET convenor in place of Ramana Rao, who has been removed in the wake of question paper leakage.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao appealed to students and parents to understand the circumstances in which the decision had to be taken and cooperate with the authorities.

The official announcement was made after Hyderabad High Court asked the state government to inform whether it plans to conduct a fresh exam.

The state government conveyed its decision to the court, which was hearing a PIL for cancellation of EAMCET-II. The court, however, dismissed the plea for supervising the conduct of the fresh exam.

This is the third time that the state will be conducting EAMCET for admissions to professional courses.

The exam conducted on May 15 was not taken into consideration for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in the wake of Supreme Court order on National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

After the central government issued an ordinance on May 24, allowing states to conduct their own entrance tests for admissions to medical courses, Telangana conducted EAMCET II on July 9.

More than 50,000 students had appeared in the exam and results were announced a week later. However, doubts about the leakage of question paper were raised with average students bagging top ranks.

Following persistent demands by a section of students and their parents, the government ordered a probe by the CID.

Meanwhile, the CID on Tuesday briefed the Chief Minister of the progress made so far. According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, the question paper leakage racket was spread across the country with Delhi as its centre.

The officials told the Chief Minister that 34 brokers were involved in the racket. Mukul Jain, Mayank Sharma, Sunil Singh and Irfan were the key accused.

The CID has so far arrested six brokers and traced five others. The Chief Minister, informed that 200 students and their parents approached brokers and were part of the paper leakage conspiracy, directed the CID to take legal action against students and parents involved.

Terming the leakage as unfortunate, Rao said thousands of students had to suffer because of the mistake of a few. He directed officials that the fresh exam should be conducted on old hall tickets and no fee should be collected from the candidates. He said the government would do everything possible to ensure that students do not lose the academic year.

The Chief Minister asked JNTU to appoint a new convenor, co-convenor and other officials to conduct the fresh exam. He also asked the officials to make fool-proof arrangements.

The CID has so far arrested six brokers, who allegedly conducted practice for some students in Pune, Bengaluru and other cities with leaked question papers.

--IANS

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