NEET-UG Paper Leak Under CBI Scrutiny: 18 Arrested

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken charge of probing the alleged paper leak during the NEET-UG medical entrance exam. The agency has filed a First Information Report (FIR) and dispatched teams to various states. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police has arrested five individuals, bringing the total number of arrests to 18.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also taken action against more students, debarring 17 from centres in Bihar due to malpractices. The Education Ministry has reiterated that these incidents were isolated and should not affect the careers of candidates who passed the exam legitimately. An optional retest was held for 1,563 students who had their grace marks scrapped, and only 813 students appeared.

Investigation Details

Over 13 lakh candidates qualified in the NEET-UG this year, competing for around 1.8 lakh MBBS/dental seats. The NTA stated that the top one lakh candidates are spread across 4,500 centres, with nearly two-thirds from rural or semi-rural areas. The CBI has filed an FIR under IPC sections 120-B and 420, among others, and the state governments of Bihar and Gujarat have transferred their cases to the CBI.

The EOU of the Bihar Police has arrested five individuals from Deoghar, Jharkhand, who were allegedly involved in the paper leak. The leaked question paper was allegedly obtained from a private school in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The EOU has handed over the case to the CBI for further investigation.

Further Actions

The NTA has debarred a total of 110 candidates from the exam this year. The CBI has sent special teams to Godhra, Gujarat, and Patna to investigate cases of question paper leaks. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has questioned two teachers in connection with the irregularities.

The NTA Director-General (DG) has been removed from his position, and the opposition has demanded the resignation of the Education Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the government's actions and alleged that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was involved in the paper leak in Bihar.

Reforms and Reviews

A high-level panel will meet to suggest exam reforms and review the functioning of the NTA. This step aims to ensure such incidents do not recur and maintain the integrity of competitive exams.

The CBI's involvement underscores the seriousness of these allegations and aims to bring those responsible to justice. As investigations continue, authorities are keen on safeguarding future examinations from similar issues.