Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has strongly denied allegations of paper leaks or rigging in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam. On Thursday, Pradhan stated that there is no concrete evidence supporting claims of corruption or misconduct in the exam. He criticized the Congress party for spreading false information and causing unnecessary panic among students.
Pradhan’s statement came after the Supreme Court agreed to the government’s proposal to conduct a retest for 1,563 students who were previously given grace marks due to disruptions during the exam.
The retest is scheduled for June 23, and students who prefer not to take it can have their original scores without grace marks considered instead. This decision followed recommendations from a four-member committee that reviewed the affected students’ results.
NEET परीक्षा मामले में NTA माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट के निर्देशों का पालन करते हुए उचित कार्यवाही करने को कटिबद्ध है। माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट के निर्देशानुसार 1563 विद्यार्थियों की परीक्षा दोबारा करायी जायेगी।
NEET परीक्षा में किसी प्रकार की धांधली, भ्रष्टाचार या पेपर लीक की कोई भी… https://t.co/SHh0kfRJoD
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) June 13, 2024
Earlier in the day, the Congress party had called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the NEET-UG exam. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised concerns about the integrity of the exam, alleging paper leaks, corruption, and rigging. He emphasized that the future of around 24 lakh students who took the exam was at risk due to these issues.
Responding to Kharge’s accusations, Pradhan accused the Congress of engaging in baseless political maneuvers. He argued that the opposition was creating confusion and playing with students’ futures for political gain. Pradhan highlighted that the central government had passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act earlier this year to prevent such issues. This act includes strict measures to ensure fair and cheating-free exams.
Pradhan assured that any violations found would be dealt with according to the provisions of the new law. He urged the Congress to refrain from spreading misinformation and to consider the well-being of the students. As per Education Minister, the government is committed to maintaining the integrity of the examination process and ensuring that any necessary actions are taken to uphold fairness and transparency.
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