NEET-UG row: As CBI probes, 17 more from Bihar debarred

New Delhi: The CBI on Sunday took over the probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG following a reference from the Union education ministry, while the National Testing Agency cracked the whip against more students as it debarred 17 from centres in Bihar after detection of "malpractices".

With a section demanding the cancellation of the May 5 exam, the ministry officials reiterated the government's earlier stand that the incidents of malpractices were "localised" or "isolated" and it was not fair to jeopardise the careers of lakhs of candidates who cleared the exam rightfully.

In an optional retest held for students whose grace marks were scrapped after the matter reached the Supreme Court, only 813 of the 1,563 such candidates appeared on Sunday.

These candidates were awarded grace marks by the NTA to make up for the loss of time at six centres due to a delay in the start of the examination on May 5.

There were allegations that it led to inflation of marks and contributed to six of the grace mark candidates from the same centre in Haryana scoring a perfect 720 marks along with 61 others.

Over 13 lakh candidates out of around 25 lakh qualified the NEET-UG this year and they will compete for around 1.8 lakh MBBS/ dental seats.

"Based on the inputs received 17 candidates who appeared from centres in Bihar were debarred. This takes the number of total candidates debarred from the exam this year to 110," an NTA official added.

The agency had earlier debarred 63 candidates for adopting unfair means in the exam. On Saturday, 30 additional candidates from Gujarat's Godhara were also debarred.

The opposition stepped up its attack on the government over the issue, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the buck stops at the doorstep of the top echelons of the Modi Government and shuffling the bureaucrats is no solution.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said the cancellation of exams was not a one-off event "but the final nails in the coffin of an incompetent and broken system of centralised selection".

On Sunday, the NTA also clarified that its website and all its other web portals are fully secure, and reports that these have been compromised and hacked are wrong and misleading. The NEET-UG was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared.

The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4. The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.

‘Can’t put my anger into words’

The health ministry announcement that the NEET Post-Graduate (NEET-PG) exam, which was scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed as a ‘precautionary measure,’ has sparked anguish and anger among students at a time when there have been nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams NEET-UG and the NET.

The announcement came less than 12 hours before the students were supposed to appear for the exam, reports The Print.

Delhi-based Ritu Gulita told The Print: “I was about to sleep. I have been preparing for 10 months. I was sitting at home and studying. The government does not care about us. I was feeling relieved that tomorrow this cycle would end.'' (PTI)