The NEET controversy has taken a startling turn, with four individuals from Bihar admitting to their involvement in leaking the medical entrance exam's question paper.
This revelation comes amidst a nationwide uproar following allegations of a paper leak and contentious grace marks awarded to over 1,500 NEET-UG 2024 aspirants. Initially denying any leak, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan faced intense scrutiny as protests erupted nationwide.
Among those arrested are Anurag Yadav, a NEET aspirant, and his uncle Sikandar, a junior engineer. They, along with Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand, confessed to receiving and memorizing the leaked questions the night before the exam. Anurag recounted how his uncle orchestrated the leak plan, instructing him to learn the questions that appeared in the exam the next day. Caught with admit cards during a routine check, Anurag admitted to his involvement.
The accused revealed that Nitish and Amit claimed they could arrange leaked question papers for any competitive exam for a hefty fee of ₹30-32 lakh per candidate. Driven by greed, Anurag negotiated a higher sum of ₹40 lakh for each of the four students he sought to help pass the NEET exam.
The fallout from the NEET-UG 2024 exam, which drew nearly 24 lakh students, has escalated into a political battleground. Opposition parties, led by Congress's Rahul Gandhi, have lambasted the government, accusing BJP-ruled states of being centres of corruption and paper leaks. Minister Pradhan vehemently denied these allegations, accusing the opposition of peddling lies without proof.
Amidst the chaos, the Supreme Court intervened, admonishing the National Testing Agency to ensure fairness for all NEET candidates. As legal battles unfold over the exam's integrity, the controversy casts a shadow over the future of medical aspirants nationwide.