NEET-UG: CBI files FIR over alleged irregularities; probe teams to go Bihar, Guj.

NEET-UG 2024 row: CBI teams will head to Bihar and Gujarat to investigate a “larger conspiracy” surrounding the 2024 NEET-UG exam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first information report (FIR) regarding irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (undergraduate) or NEET-UG exam on Sunday, following a complaint from education ministry. It is taking steps to take over probes/FIRs of other states in the matter. CBI teams will head to Bihar and Gujarat to investigate a “larger conspiracy” surrounding the 2024 NEET-UG exam. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET(UG) exam on May 5, in OMR (pen and paper) mode. Reports of alleged irregularities, including cheating, impersonation, and other malpractices, have surfaced. The opposition parties and student groups have demanded a retest. On Saturday, the Centre decided to hand over the probe to the CBI. “For transparency in the examination process, the ministry of education, after a review, has decided to entrust the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation,” it said in a statement. Alongside NEET-UG, three other exams—UGC NET, CSIR-UGC NET, and NEET-PG—have also faced controversy. The UGC NET was cancelled by the Centre a day after the exam, while the CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG exams have been postponed. To combat exam malpractice, the central government has notfied the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. This act aims to prevent unfair practices in public examinations and address related issues. The ministry of education has constituted a high-level committee of experts chaired by K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of ISRO, to ensure transparent, smooth, and fair conduct of examinations. The committee will recommend reforms in the examination process, improvements in data security protocols, and the structure and functioning of the NTA. The committee is expected to submit its report within two months.