‘We had to call their bluff’: NTA defends unprecedented NEET-UG cancellation
Agency chief says exam process was found to have been ‘vitiated’; re-test ordered despite logistical and financial burden
The National Testing Agency has defended its unprecedented decision to cancel the NEET-UG examination, with Director General Abhishek Singh saying the agency could not allow even isolated instances of malpractice to compromise the integrity of one of India’s biggest entrance examinations.
The cancellation marks the first time that the NEET-UG medical entrance examination has been scrapped after being conducted.
“There was an allegation and there was found to be something which would have vitiated the process… otherwise why would we take such a big decision,” Singh told The Indian Express.
He said the NTA had adopted a “zero tolerance” approach towards examination malpractice and could not permit “miscreants” or “scamsters” to continue operating even in limited or isolated instances.
“We have to call their bluff, even if it is a tough decision. It is not easy for NTA, students, or parents,” Singh said.
Tip-off received after examination
According to Singh, the NTA received information regarding possible irregularities on 7 May, several days after the examination had been conducted on 3 May.
He said the agency initially treated the information cautiously but initiated verification after receiving an email claiming that material related to the examination had circulated before the test.
“When we found that part of the complaint was true, we had to take this call of cancelling the examination, and doing a re-exam at a huge cost, but in the interest of the larger majority of students,” he said.
The Rajasthan Special Operations Group has reportedly recovered a “guess paper” containing 410 questions, of which around 120 allegedly appeared in the actual examination. The matter has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a detailed probe.
Singh clarified that the NTA was not an investigative body and said determining how the examination may have been compromised was the responsibility of the CBI.
“We’re not investigators. We’re an exam-conducting body. CBI is the body which will do that,” he said.
Re-exam to be held without fees
The NTA has announced that the NEET-UG re-test will be conducted without charging candidates any additional examination fee.
Singh said the Centre remained committed to conducting “scam-free” examinations and ensuring that malpractice was not tolerated.
The controversy has renewed debate over reforms in public examinations. Following the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak controversy, the Centre had constituted a seven-member panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation chief K. Radhakrishnan to recommend safeguards for public examinations.
The committee had recommended shifting towards computer-based testing conducted across multiple shifts. However, Singh said any decision regarding a transition to computer-based NEET examinations would have to be taken by the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission rather than the NTA.