Students Protest Against NEET-UG Re-examination In Gujarat Amid Paper Leak Controversy

Students in Rajkot, Gujarat, staged a demonstration on Sunday against the decision to conduct a re-examination for the NEET-UG exam. Palak, a NEET-UG candidate, expressed her frustration, stating, “I achieved a score of 682 in the NEET-UG exams through hard work and dedication. There shouldn’t be a retest because students like us have already put in our best efforts. Those who scored below 600 are demanding a re-exam. After a gap of 1.5 months, it’s unrealistic to expect us to perform better. It’s like jeopardizing our future.”

The NEET-UG 2024 exam took place on May 5, and the results were announced on June 4, earlier than the scheduled date of June 14. Controversy arose due to allegations of irregularities and paper leaks, with 67 students reportedly scoring a perfect 720.

The Supreme Court permitted a retest for over 1,500 students who were awarded “grace marks.” This decision led to protests across several states over the NEET exam’s postponement. The government responded by removing the DG of the National Testing Agency and forming a high-level committee chaired by Dr. K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of ISRO, IIT Kanpur, to ensure fair and transparent conduct of exams. Dr. Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed as the new DG of NTA.

Additionally, a committee of experts, including Dr. Randeep Guleria, former Director of AIIMS, and academicians Aditya Mittal and Prof. Ramamurthy K from the IIT system, was formed to uphold exam integrity. Following inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C unit about irregularities in the UGC-NET 2024 exam, the Education Ministry referred the case to the CBI for a thorough investigation.

The CBI is also looking into alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) Examination 2024. The government has pledged stringent action against anyone found guilty of irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 Examination.