NEET-UG row: 'This is misleading,' Congress President Kharge after centre denied paper leak allegation, calls for retest

The Congress party has demanded that the NEET-UG medical entrance exam be conducted again following allegations of paper leaks and malpractices. The party called for a thorough investigation into the alleged "paper leak scams" under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 exam has sparked a debate, with demands for its cancellation growing due to reported malpractices. The Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) defended the exam before the Supreme Court, stating that scrapping it without concrete evidence of widespread breaches could harm the aspirations of honest candidates.

Accusations of large-scale malpractices, including question paper leaks and impersonation during the May 5 exam, have put the NTA and the Union education ministry under scrutiny. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the government's denial of paper leaks, calling it a "blatant lie" that affects the futures of many aspiring candidates.

"All paper leak scams should be thoroughly investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and strict action should be taken against the culprits," he said.

Kharge accused the BJP-RSS of allegedly promoting an "education mafia" that has tainted the integrity of the education system. He reiterated the Congress's demand for a re-conduct of the NEET-UG exam in a transparent online format and urged for a thorough investigation into the alleged paper leak scams under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.

The Union education ministry and the NTA, however, opposed the calls for cancellation of the exam and a re-test, stating that the cases have been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation. The ongoing controversy has raised concerns over the transparency and integrity of the NEET-UG exam, with political parties and students calling for accountability and justice.