Several student groups, including the SFI and ABVP, organized separate protests on Monday against alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest at the Union education ministry, with hundreds of students demanding an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Avijit Ghosh, an SFI member and vice-president of the JNU Students’ Union, stated that the protesters also called for a more reliable examination system to protect the integrity of entrance tests.
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a demonstration at the NTA headquarters in Okhla, demanding a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities. The protesters urged for various measures to ensure transparency in all examinations conducted by the NTA, including enhanced security at test centers, the conduct of examinations at government centers, and the deployment of government-appointed invigilators.
ABVP national secretary Shivangi Kharwal expressed concerns over the recent irregularities, stating, “Observing the irregularities in recent times, it seems that NTA has become a corrupt institution. Almost every examination conducted by the agency has had some irregularities.” Kharwal emphasized the need for a CBI investigation and outlined detailed demands in a memorandum to ensure fair and transparent examinations in the future.
The NTA announced the NEET-UG 2024 results on June 5, revealing an unprecedented scenario where 67 candidates scored a perfect 720, making them joint toppers, including six from one center in Haryana. The results also showed a significant increase in competition, with 13.16 lakh candidates qualifying compared to 11.44 lakh in 2023. The announcement immediately triggered allegations of irregularities.