NEET UG 2024 row: Students hold protests in Delhi, Hyderabad over ‘grace marks and paper leak’ issue | Top 10 updates

The NEET UG exam, a gateway for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India, sparked controversy across the country since it took place on May 5 in 571 cities and the National Testing Agency (NTA) granted grace marks to 1,563 students. The results were announced on June 4. Since then, students, parents, and teachers have raised concerns over the issue.

Here are top 10 updates on NEET UG 2024 row,

1) Student unions started conducting a protest rally on Tuesday from Himayat Nagar to the Ambedkar statue, Tankbund, in Hyderabad, against the controversy surrounding the NEET 2024 exam results.

2) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders are also protesting against the Centre at the Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday over alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 exam.

3) “The process of forming a law over this is underway. In Bihar, instructions have been given to take action against those who are involved in this matter,” Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary told media persons about the NEET issue.

4) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday that the government would take strong action against NTA functionaries if they were found to be involved in irregularities in the conduct of NEET UG 2024.

5) “If any officials, including senior functionaries of NTA, are found guilty, they will not be spared, and strong action will be taken against them,” the minister said while advocating for reforms in the NTA.

6) The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has seized six post-dated cheques suspected to have been issued to a mafia group, demanding payments exceeding ₹30 lakh from each candidate in exchange for allegedly leaked NEET question papers prior to the exam last month.

7) So far, the EOU has arrested 13 people, including four examinees and their family members, in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case. According to police, all the accused belong to Bihar.

8) The matter reached the Supreme Court, which expressed concern over the integrity of the NEET exam. The NTA told the top court that the scorecards of 1563 candidates who got "grace marks" in the 2024 National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (undergraduate) exam will be cancelled, and the candidates will have a chance to reappear for the exam.

9) The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice and sought a response from the NTA  and Centre on pleas relating to alleged paper leaks and malpractices in NEET-UG, 2024. “If there is 0.001% negligence on the part of anyone it should be thoroughly dealt with,” the court observed. 

10) Kerala Students Union also held a protest last week, urging authorities to investigate the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG exam.

(With inputs from agencies)