In a significant development on Friday, the Congress party intensified its demand for a high-level investigation into alleged “irregularities” in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses. The party has called for the probe to be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Congress leaders have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of cheating young aspirants and jeopardizing their futures.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been particularly vocal about the issue, alleging that paper leaks, examination rigging, and corruption have become rampant in various exams, including NEET. “The Modi government is directly responsible for this,” Kharge asserted in a statement on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “For candidates who appear in recruitment exams, facing numerous irregularities, getting caught in a labyrinth of paper leaks is akin to playing with their futures. The BJP has betrayed India’s youth.”
Kharge’s demands for action include a Supreme Court-monitored high-level probe to ensure justice for affected students. His statements have underlined the need for transparency and accountability in the examination process. The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, has staunchly denied any wrongdoing. According to the agency, higher scores by students are attributable to recent changes in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and the provision of grace marks to students who lost time at certain examination centers.
Echoing similar sentiments, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, described the alleged “scam” involving tens of thousands of candidates as “completely unacceptable and unforgivable.” In his post on X, he called for an immediate investigation under the Supreme Court’s oversight. Ramesh revealed concerns about potential suppression of information regarding a NEET paper leak earlier this year, citing claims by many candidates that results have been manipulated. “This year, there was news of a paper leak that was suppressed. Now, many candidates have alleged that the marks of the students have been increased. Students say that this time a record 67 candidates have secured the top rank, and six of these candidates are said to be from the same examination center,” he stated.
NEET-UG results were announced earlier in the week, sparking controversy and allegations of malfeasance. Ramesh raised crucial questions about the legitimacy of the results, querying how 67 toppers managed to achieve perfect scores of 720/720 simultaneously. “The question is, how did the students get cheated, who did it, and why was this result deliberately declared on June 4 amid the noise of election results, whereas it was to be declared on 14 June?” he asked, highlighting the timing of the announcement.
The NTA’s subsequent clarification has not satisfied the agitated student community. Ramesh insisted that the explanation provided by the agency was “superficial” and “unreliable,” and emphasized the necessity for a fair investigation to restore confidence in the integrity of the examination system.
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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the chorus of criticism against the Modi government. She demanded resolution of what she termed as students’ “legitimate complaints” through a thorough investigation. “First the NEET exam paper was leaked, and now students allege there has been a scam in its results as well. Serious questions are being raised on six students of the same center getting 720 out of 720 marks, and numerous irregularities are surfacing,” she commented in a post on X.
Gandhi accused the government of ignoring the plight of lakhs of students and stressed the importance of addressing their concerns. “Why is the government ignoring the voice of lakhs of students? Students want answers to legitimate questions related to the rigging in the NEET exam results,” she asserted, further questioning the government’s responsibility to rectify these issues through an investigation.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who has been vocal on the matter, suggested there were “huge irregularities” in the NEET-UG results that necessitated immediate government attention. He claimed these irregularities have affected the futures of approximately 24 lakh children and called for measures to ensure accountability.
In addition, party leader Kanhaiya Kumar stressed the necessity for rigorous examination of the issues and resolution of complaints, advocating for a re-conduct of the test if discrepancies are found. “The investigation should be done under the supervision of the Supreme Court and if any discrepancy is found in the test, then it should be conducted again,” he stated. Kumar also pointed to a pervasive issue of rigging in exams, remarking, “Students have started writing on social media—’Once again, leakage government’.”
Kumar criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to address the paper leak and rigging issues post-elections. He raised concerns about the future integrity of other national exams, like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. “Before the elections, Narendra Modi discusses exams but there is no talk of paper leaks and rigging after the polls. If such a situation continues, even the UPSC exam will not be conducted properly in the coming days,” he warned.
Various Congress leaders have concurred that strict actions are needed against paper leaks, with Kumar underlining the adverse impact on students’ futures, including student suicides associated with such irregularities. “There is a need to take strict action against paper leaks as the paper leak mafia is playing with the future of students,” he stressed.
Echoing similar concerns, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) chief Varun Choudhary criticized the government’s silence on paper leaks and result manipulation in NEET, questioning the credibility of the NTA amidst allegations of unprecedented scores. “The NTA is under suspicion because the paper leak matter came to light. The students got such scores in the exam which were never possible,” Choudhary remarked.
The Congress party continues to press for an impartial investigation under the Supreme Court’s watch, underscoring the importance of safeguarding the integrity of India’s examination systems and the futures of countless young aspirants.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)
