• Source:JND
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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met with some NEET aspirants at his residence on Thursday, amidst controversy over alleged irregularities in this year's medical entrance exam. According to media reports, students raised concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the exam's outcome, delays in the counselling process, and the impact on the academic calendar.

While there have been calls for a retest from various quarters, the education ministry has maintained that the incidents of paper leaks were localised. Canceling the exam could jeopardise the careers of the many candidates who passed the test fairly.

The matter has also reached the Supreme Court, which adjourned the hearing till July 18 on a set of petitions seeking the cancellation of the exam and a re-conduct. The petitioners have also requested an investigation into alleged malpractices. The ministry informed the Supreme Court that IIT Madras conducted data analytics of the NEET-UG 2024 results, which revealed no evidence of "mass malpractice" or a localised group of candidates unfairly benefiting with abnormally high scores.

The government's statement holds significance, especially in light of the Supreme Court's remarks on July 8 suggesting a re-test could be ordered if widespread malpractices in conducting the exam are confirmed. The CBI is currently investigating the matter.

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In earlier affidavits filed with the apex court, the Centre and NTA argued that cancelling the exam would be "counterproductive" and could "seriously jeopardise" the futures of lakhs of honest candidates, citing the absence of substantial evidence of widespread breach of confidentiality.

This year, more than 23.33 lakh students took the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities overseas. NEET-UG, conducted by the NTA, is for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions nationwide.

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