With just days to go for the NEET-UG re-exam scheduled to be conducted on June 21, rumors of the question paper being leaked have once again surfaced on social media. However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) refuted the claims on Friday, calling them “false”.
NTA said preparations for the re-test are being closely reviewed at every level. “Through coordinated efforts across the Centre, states and districts, the focus remains on ensuring a smooth and safe examination experience for every candidate,” the examination panel said on Friday in an X post.
In response, a user reported widespread claims about the question paper being leaked again before the retest. “This is fake,” NTA wrote in response to the post.
The NEET-UG exam was first conducted on May 3, but was canceled after authorities discovered that the question paper had been leaked before the exam.
Amid significant backlash from students and the opposition, an order was issued to retake the exam on 21 June. In a bid to calm students, the government also announced that an additional 15 minutes will be provided during the new exam to fill in details and complete formalities.
Fair retest promise
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday assured students that the re-test will be conducted in a fair and orderly manner, urging them to remain confident.
“Through all of you, I appeal to all NEET students to remain confident and focus on their studies. The re-test will be conducted in a fair and well-organized manner,” Pradhan told reporters in Bhopal.
The cancellation of the May 3 exam has created huge concern among NEET aspirants. Suicides were also reported in some places, as candidates worried that they might not be able to perform as well as they did in the first examination.
To name a few, a 20-year-old NEET student died by suicide in Nagpur and her family claimed that the recent paper leak and exam cancellation prompted her to take the extreme step. In another such case, in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, an 18-year-old was found hanged. While no note was recovered, the student’s father said she may have been nervous about taking the retest.
Work after NEET dropout
A CBI investigation into the NEET paper leak is currently underway. As of May, 13 people have been arrested, most of them from Maharashtra. The CBI said the investigation is ongoing, and its teams are working side by side to determine the actual source of the leak before testing.
The involvement of NTA insiders is also being investigated. Last month, the government took responsibility for the driving breach after canceling the paper and expressed regret at having to rearrange the exam.
