The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday stated that reports alleging a leak of the NEET-UG question paper are baseless and lack any ground. NTA released a notice informing students, parents, teachers, and all concerned that the social media posts pointing towards the leak are fake.
The NTA had dismissed reports of a “leak” of the NEET-UG exam question paper on Sunday. The test was conducted in 557 cities across the country and 14 cities abroad on Sunday.
Several social media posts later claimed that the question paper was leaked, flooding social media with allegations.
Patna police registered an FIR and detained six to seven persons for interrogation in an alleged paper leak of NEET-UG. Patna SSP Rajiv Mishra stated that an FIR was registered at Shastri Nagar police station based on confidential information received by the police.
“We received the information of paper leak about two-three hours before the commencement of the examination. Some people have been picked up for interrogation, and the investigation has begun,” he said, adding, “No person has been formally arrested so far.”
The NTA, however, maintained that the question paper was not leaked.
In its explanation on Sunday, the NTA said that at one center in Rajasthan — Girls Higher Secondary Adarsh Vidya Mandir, Sawai Madhopur — Hindi medium students complained that they were handed the English question paper. The NTA admitted to the “error of wrong question paper” but refuted the reports of a paper leak.
“The instances of ‘paper leak’ being claimed are completely false… In an isolated incident at Girls Higher Secondary Adarsh Vidya Mandir, students were given the English medium question paper by mistake, and by the time the invigilator could correct the mistake, the students forcefully walked out of the exam hall with the question paper,” a senior NTA official said.
According to the rules, students are only allowed to exit the hall with the question paper after the exam. Some students walked out forcibly, following which the question paper was circulated on the Internet around 4 pm, said the official, adding that by that time the exam had already started at all other centers. “So, there has not been any leak of the NEET UG question paper,” the official said.
The issue soon turned political, with the opposition targeting the government for playing with the future of students. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "Once again, there are reports of NEET paper leak. The future of 24 lakh youth of the country has been messed up again. This trend that has been going on with crores of promising youth for the last ten years is not stopping. Will the Prime Minister of the country say anything about this? To pacify the youth, a law was passed in the Parliament against paper leak. Where is that law? Why is it not implemented? That is why unemployment and corruption in jobs are the biggest issues of this election. Our Nyaya Patra's resolution is that paper leaks will stop. Recruitments will be done according to the calendar. Vacant posts will be filled. This tampering with the future of the youth will stop, and we will show it by doing it."