Centre not in favour of NEET-UG retest, tells SC scrapping exam jeopardises honest students

The Union government has made it clear that it will not re-conduct the NEET-UG exam, as per its submission to the Supreme Court. The government argues that scrapping the exam would unfairly impact the many students who took the exam honestly. The education ministry’s affidavit acknowledges instances of cheating and malpractice but denies any large-scale breach of confidentiality.

In their affidavit, the ministry emphasizes the need to protect the interests of the vast majority of students who took the exam fairly, suggesting that canceling the exam would unjustly harm these candidates. This marks the first official statement from the Centre on the issue of a retest for all NEET-UG candidates.

This stance comes amid conflicting reports, particularly from the Bihar government, which claims evidence of a paper leak. Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit found that 68 questions matched between a burnt photocopy and the official question paper, indicating a leak. Despite these findings, the Union government remains focused on protecting the integrity of the exam process and the interests of honest students.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the probe into the alleged paper leak from Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit, following the education ministry’s request. This transfer aims to ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation into the allegations.