NEET-UG re-exam: Parliamentary panel summons NTA, health and education officials

Senior officials from the Union Health and Education ministries, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Medical Commission (NMC) will brief a parliamentary panel on Wednesday regarding the conduct of the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has summoned the Health Secretary, the Higher Education Secretary and senior officials from the 7and NMC to discuss the issue. This will be the third parliamentary panel before which these officials have appeared over the NEET controversy.





Earlier, officials from the ministries, NTA and NMC had appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education and the Committee on Government Assurances. During those meetings, they said their immediate focus was to conduct the June 21 NEET-UG re-test in pen-and-paper mode.

The latest meeting comes after the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 following reports of a paper leak. The issue has triggered widespread concern among students and parents. Reports of student suicides after the cancellation have also intensified worries within the student community about the re-examination process.

The Parliamentary Committee on Health, which examines matters related to the functioning of the Health Ministry, is expected to question officials on the conduct of the examination and the steps being taken to ensure a fair process.

According to the agenda, the panel will hear the views of the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, and senior officers of the NMC and NTA on the subject, "Conduct of NEET examinations under NMC Act, 2019".

The discussion is part of the committee's broader examination of the "Organisational Structure, Mandate and Functional Proficiency of Regulatory Institutions pertaining to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare". The meeting is scheduled to take place on June 10 at the Parliament House Annexe.

Meanwhile, CBI Director Praveen Sood has already appeared before another parliamentary panel and briefed members on the progress of the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case and the efforts being made to identify and arrest those involved.

The Parliamentary Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, is also examining the issue. The panel has reportedlt asked the NTA to explain what it considers a "paper leak" and whether any such incidents have occurred in examinations conducted by the agency since 2018.

The questions were raised after NTA officials appeared before the panel last week and reportedly maintained that there was no paper leak from the agency's system. Officials reportedly claimed that some questions from a guess paper were circulating, but there was no breach of the NTA's examination system.

The Digvijaya Singh-led committee is also looking into the CBSE's on-screen marking system (OSM) and has sought written responses from both the CBSE and NTA. The panel has asked the NTA whether it conducted any internal inquiry into allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination apart from the ongoing CBI investigation.

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