The recent controversy concerning the NEET-UG 2024 examinations has caused a nationwide uproar, as it has put the integrity of the examination process in question. The Congress party has launched protests across various states over the NEET and UGC-NET issues.
In Uttar Pradesh, Congress supporters gathered in Lucknow to voice their concerns. Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir, the party demanded the cancellation of the NEET exam. Meanwhile, in Telangana, Congress members took out a protest march in Hyderabad, highlighting their grievances with both the NEET and UGC-NET examinations.
#WATCH | Jammu: Congress party in J&K protests against NEET, demands cancellation of the exam. pic.twitter.com/ykS5GVn2DK
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024
#WATCH | Telangana Congress takes out a protest march in Hyderabad over NEET issue and UGC-NET issue. pic.twitter.com/h9rj8TBsst
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh Congress protests in Lucknow, over NEET issue and UGC-NET issue. pic.twitter.com/uatEGSUBzf
— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024
In a recent development, the the authorities have cracked down on four people including Anurag Yadav a NEET aspirant, his uncle, and two others who have confessed to the alleged paper leak from Bihar. “Then, a few issues from Patna came to light, and due to timely intervention, all those who were behind it were caught, further probe is underway. Bihar government officials and central government officials are working together to take it to a logical end,” said Pradhan
The Ministry of Education stated that it is awaiting a report from Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit regarding alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET in Patna and will take further action based on the findings.
Amid rising protests and outrage nationwide, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has promised to strengthen the structure of the National Testing Agency (NTA)- the agency that conducts various exams at the central level- and also to bring justice to people and punish those responsible for the leak.
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The Congress party has arranged for a massive nationwide protest over the NEET issue. KC Venugopal, the party’s general secretary, has urged supporters to demonstrate at district headquarters against irregularities in the medical entrance exams.
On Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the primary reason behind the paper leak was the alleged capture of the education system by the BJP’s “parent organization” (RSS).
The government has canceled the exams of over 1500 students who got grace marks. “Regarding NEET, the first discrepancy that came to light was regarding the grace mark, due to some procedural mismanagement. A fear spread, a few students got agitated and people went to court. Later, NTA (National Testing Agency) kept a new petition before the court so that a reexamination of those students who got grace marks could be conducted. So a solution was found to the main issue related to NEET,” said Pradhan.
Earlier this week, the government canceled the UGC-NET exam after discovering that the question paper had been leaked online. The minister described it as an institutional failure of the National Testing Agency (NTA). “The paper leak is an institutional failure of NTA. We are assuring you that there will be a reform committee and action will be taken,” he said.
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