NEET Paper Leak Scandal: Bihar Police Arrests 18, NTA Debars 110 Students

The NEET UG paper leak scandal has escalated significantly, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) now taking over the investigation. The Bihar Police have arrested a total of 18 people in connection with the case, and the National Testing Agency (NTA) has debarred 110 students for their involvement in malpractice. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:

The Ministry of Education has called on the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG exam. This comes as the Economic Offenses Unit of the Bihar Police made additional arrests, bringing the total number of people detained in the state to 18.

The NTA has been under fire for the cancellation and postponement of several competitive exams. In response to the NEET-UG paper leak, they have debarred 110 students, with the latest 17 students being from Bihar. This decision follows a series of actions aimed at maintaining the integrity of the examination process.

In a recent retake of the NEET exam, only 813 out of 1,563 students appeared, following a controversy over grace marks. These grace marks were awarded to compensate for delays at six examination centers, which led to allegations of inflated scores, including six candidates from the same center in Haryana scoring perfect 720 marks.

The CBI has filed an FIR under sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating, while both Bihar and Gujarat governments have transferred their NEET paper leak cases to the CBI for further investigation. Among those arrested is Baldev Kumar, associated with the notorious Sanjeev Kumar alias Lutan Mukhiya gang. Kumar allegedly received a solved answer sheet in PDF format a day before the exam.

Investigators have discovered partially burnt question papers at a safe house in Patna, confirming the origin of the leak. The Mukhiya gang reportedly obtained the NEET-UG question paper from a private school in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

The Central government has also formed a high-level panel to suggest exam reforms and review the functioning of the NTA. This panel is headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan and is expected to address the broader issues of conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence related to the NEET-UG exam scandal.