Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!
NEET Exam Row: ‘Why is govt ignoring voices of lakhs of students?’ asks Priyanka Gandhi; Congress leaders demand probe
Allegations of inflated marks in NEET led to 67 candidates securing top rank, prompting demands for investigation by Congress leaders. Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh questioned the ‘lack of action’ to address complaints of irregularities and paper leaks in the exam results.
Several Congress leaders, including General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have demanded action against alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance exams. Gandhi Vadra called for an investigation into reported irregularities and expressed concern over students' complaints.
“First, the NEET exam paper was leaked, and now students are alleging that there has been a scam in its results as well. Serious questions are being raised over 6 students from the same centre getting 720 out of 720 marks and many kinds of irregularities are coming to light. On the other hand, there are reports of many children committing suicide across the country after the results were announced. This is very sad and shocking,” Gandhi Vadra wrote in Hindi on X, formerly Twitter.
“Why is the government ignoring the voices of lakhs of students? Students want answers to legitimate questions related to the rigging of the NEET exam results. Is it not the government's responsibility to investigate and resolve these legitimate complaints?” she asked.
In a post in Hindi on X on June 7, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the Modi government is “directly responsible” for the issue.
He wrote, “Paper leaks, rigging and corruption have become an integral part of many examinations, including NEET. The Modi government is directly responsible for this. For the candidates, appearing in the recruitment exams, then facing several irregularities, getting caught in the labyrinth of paper leaks, is playing with their future.”
“BJP has cheated the youth of the country. We demand that a high-level investigation should be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court so that our talented students appearing in NEET and other exams get justice,” Kharge added.
Questions Raised
Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh also posted about the issue on X. In a long Hindi post on the platform on June 7, Ramesh demanded clarification from the government on various alleged discrepancies raised in NEET exams.
“The scam involving lakhs of candidates in the medical entrance exam NEET is completely unacceptable and unforgivable. This is a direct gamble with the future of lakhs of candidates of the country, which should be immediately investigated at a high level under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” Ramesh wrote.
He alleged that this year's NEET paper was leaked, and this issue was suppressed. Now, candidates are alleging that students' marks increased. He raised multiple questions that needed to be answered.
"This year, there was news of paper leak in it, which was suppressed. Now many candidates of medical entrance exam NEET have alleged that the marks of the students have been increased. Students say that this time a record 67 candidates have secured top ranks and six of these candidates are said to be from the same examination center. The question is how did the students get cheated, who did it and why was this result deliberately declared on 4 June amidst the noise of election results, whereas it was to be declared on 14 June?" Ramesh said.
Also Read | Air India-Vistara merger: NCLT approval paves way for India's largest international carrier backed by Tata
The Congress leader also questioned the NEET results, asking “how 67 toppers scored 720/720 marks; how eight candidates from the same centre scored 720/720 marks; and if each question was worth 4 marks, how did some students score 718-719 marks?”
“67 students getting 720 out of 720 marks in the results released after the NEET question paper was leaked raises serious suspicion. After the uproar, the National Examination Agency (NTA) has given a clarification but this clarification is being termed as very superficial and unreliable by the affected students,” Ramesh added.
He asked for a “fair and transparent investigation” to “restore students' faith in the exam.”
The allegations
Several aspirants of the medical entrance exam NEET have alleged inflation of marks, which led to a record 67 candidates, including six from the same exam centre, bagging the top rank.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), however, denied any irregularities and said the changes made in the NCERT textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres are some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.
(With inputs from PTI)
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Business NewsNewsIndiaNEET Exam Row: ‘Why is govt ignoring voices of lakhs of students?’ asks Priyanka Gandhi; Congress leaders demand probe
First Published:7 Jun 2024, 01:49 PM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High