Ahead of Modi's swearing-in ceremony, Indian Youth Congress protests NEET-UG results in Delhi

As the Modi government prepares for its 3.0 swearing-in ceremony, the India Youth Congress (IYC) took to the streets in New Delhi to protest alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam results.

On Sunday, IYC workers voiced their discontent regarding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) results. The exam has been marred by allegations of irregularities and a potential paper leak after 67 students achieved a percentile of 99.99 per cent.

Concerns arose when 67 students secured the top rank, with six of these top scorers having appeared at the same examination centre.

Demanidng investigation into the 'scam', IYC president Srinivas BV said that the government should reconduct the examination.

"What kind of NEET exam was this in which 67 students got the first rank? Arresting IYC workers will not solve anything, this fight will continue until 24 lakh youth get justice," said Srinivas BV.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for being complicit in the paper leak. He said he will raise the issue in parliament.

"Narendra Modi has not even taken oath yet and the scam in NEET exam has devastated more than 24 lakh students and their families. 6 students from the same exam centre top the exam with maximum marks, many get such marks which is technically not possible, but the government is continuously denying the possibility of paper leak...I assure all the students of the country that I will become your voice in Parliament and strongly raise the issues related to your future," Rahul wrote on X.

The NEET-UG 2024 results, announced on 4 June, have been embroiled in controversy due to irregularities. The irregularities were flagged when an unusually high number of top scorers emerged, particularly with six top-ranking students from the same exam center.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which administers the exam, responded to the concerns by awarding compensatory marks to 1,563 students who reported losing time during the test.

Additionally, discrepancies between old and new NCERT textbooks further complicated the situation. The NTA had prepared the exam using new NCERT books, but students who had studied with old NCERT books encountered conflicting information. To address this, the NTA awarded five compensatory marks to all affected students. This adjustment increased the scores of 44 students from 715 to 720, contributing to the high number of top scorers.

The NEET-UG 2024 exam was conducted on 5 May across 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 international locations.