NEET-PG 2024 exam: Question papers to be prepared two hours before exam

Originally scheduled for June 23, the NEET-PG exam was postponed just hours before its commencement due to allegations of irregularities in the undergraduate exam

The NEET-PG examination for admission to postgraduate medical courses is likely to be held this month, according to a report by NDTV. The announcement came after a meeting between the Ministry of Home Affairs and officials from the government’s anti-cybercrime body.

The question paper will be prepared two hours earlier, the report said. Originally scheduled for June 23, the NEET-PG exam was postponed just hours before its commencement due to allegations of irregularities, including leaked papers, in the undergraduate exam.

The government had said that it would “undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of NEET-PG, conducted by the National Board of Examinations for medical students”. It said the decision had been made in the best interest of students.

Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan assigned a committee to investigate the complaints.

Possible indiscretions in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams were confirmed by the education minister last month, following student concerns that questions were being sold on the darknet. This revelation has put the spotlight on the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts both tests, and led to the dismissal of its chief, SK Singh.

The UGC-NET re-test, which was voided two days after the initial exam, is scheduled for July 25-27.

The NTA has faced criticism from students, parents, and the opposition. Last week, NTA’s Delhi’s Okhla area was occupied by a mob from the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Congress party, which has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of ‘destroying’ the education system, the report said.

The NTA also faces a notice from the Supreme Court, with a reply due on July 8.

CBI raid uncovers NEET frauds

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting inquiries into the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) case, which has resulted in multiple arrests and raids on coaching centres, school premises, and other locations nationwide.

Last week, the federal agency raided seven locations in Gujarat and arrested the principal of a school in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, along with a journalist from a local Hindi newspaper. Overall, the CBI has filed six FIRs, including one filed when the case was handed over by the government.

The other five FIRs pertain to three cases in Bihar and one each in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

The controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has escalated into a significant political conflict. The Congress-led INDIA bloc, along with non-aligned Opposition parties such as Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has criticised the ruling BJP.

NEET-UG 2024 row

The controversy began last month after the results of the May 5 NEET exam, which was taken by nearly 2.4 million students, were announced. Concerns were raised due to an unusually high number of perfect scores; a record 67 students, including six from one coaching centre, achieved the maximum score of 720. Additionally, questions were raised about the awarding of ‘grace marks’ to 1,563 students, which the NTA stated was not part of the exam protocol.