NEET Paper Leak Scandal widens as CBI arrests mount
NEET Paper Leak Scandal widens as CBI arrests mount
Investigations broaden into how the NEET leak spread from students to coaching centres and online groups, with arrests and calls for systemic reforms.
The NEET paper leak scandal has widened, with investigators examining how the exam material reached coaching centres, hostel networks and online groups on Telegram and WhatsApp. A petition to the Supreme Court from the Federation of All India Medical Associations seeks a court-monitored re-test and the replacement of the NTA with a technologically advanced autonomous body, along with reforms such as digital locking of question papers and a move to computer-based testing.
Political heat is rising as opposition parties including Congress, AAP, and TMC target the Centre for accountability, with calls for the Union education minister’s resignation and allegations of links between some accused and BJP leaders in Rajasthan. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has reiterated demands to abolish NEET, arguing the exam structurally disadvantages rural, government school, and economically weaker students.
In Pune, the hard copy of the leaked NEET-UG paper reportedly circulated on WhatsApp before the exam, underscoring how a single leak can spread through multiple channels.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested five individuals across states, including three members of a Jaipur-based family with past NEET qualifiers, as part of the expanding probe. Investigators are probing how the leaked material traveled, tracing connections between students, counsellors, hostels and coaching groups. A CBI team also visited the National Testing Agency headquarters in Delhi to collect documents related to the examination.
The latest developments highlight perceived structural flaws in the system and ongoing calls for reforms that could reshape how major entrance exams are conducted in the country.
