- Government and NTA cancelled NEET-UG exam due to question paper irregularities
- Nearly 23 lakh candidates affected; decision made to ensure fairness
- Case referred to CBI, which registered a case and began investigations
The government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG examination and ordered a re-test after receiving information about possible irregularities in the question paper. The decision came days after the original test on May 5 and follows the referral of the case to the CBI.
The government chose to cancel the test involving nearly 23 lakh candidates rather than risk disadvantaging any student who prepared honestly.
"The decision was costly for the government. It was the right decision for the student," a government source said.
According to sources, information about alleged malpractice reached the NTA on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination was held across 551 cities in India and 14 centres overseas. The inputs were escalated to central agencies the following morning for verification and further action. Investigations began that day. Within four days, the NTA and the government had examined the matter, decided to cancel the examination, and announced the re-test along with the CBI reference.
"It is a fact that the miscreants got some questions from the question paper, and the moment it was detected, action followed within hours. That is the test of an institution - not whether bad actors exist, but how quickly the system responds when they do," a government source said.
The retest, though difficult, was presented as the fairer option.
The government has referred the matter to the CBI on the recommendation of the NTA. The agency has registered a case and is investigating. This step was described by government sources as a commitment to follow the evidence, including any issues within the NTA's own processes.
"The inputs came in on May 7. The moment they came in, NTA acted. The question of how the underlying matter occurred is precisely what the CBI inquiry will establish - and notice that the Government has not waited for that inquiry to act in the interest of students," a government source said.
The NTA has stated that gaps in its confidential processes will be addressed, with work already started.
"The students who are sitting at home today preparing for the re-conducted examination would be sitting in court rooms three years from now if NTA had not taken this decision. Re-conduct is hard. Loss of a year for lakhs of students to litigation would have been catastrophic. The Government chose the harder, fairer path," a government source said.
The CBI has arrested five people in connection with the case. The arrests include Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik.
The agency is conducting searches at multiple locations based on leads and has seized mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices for forensic examination.
Shubham Khairnar, 30, is being brought to Delhi after a transit remand from a local court in Nashik. He was earlier detained by Nashik police at the request of Rajasthan police. The CBI is coordinating with the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan police, which had carried out a preliminary inquiry.
The CBI team visited NTA headquarters on Wednesday to collect documents related to the examination and spoke with officials involved in the process. The agency says it is pursuing all leads through technical and forensic analysis.