In a major crackdown on irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Testing Agency (NTA) have uncovered multiple instances of malpractice, including impersonation and the use of leaked question papers.
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In a major crackdown on irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Testing Agency (NTA) have uncovered multiple instances of malpractice, including impersonation and the use of leaked question papers.
Following the probe, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges and institutions to immediately suspend 26 MBBS students found complicit in the violations. Additionally, admissions of 14 other students for the academic year 2024–25 have been cancelled, according to a senior official in the Union Health Ministry.
“The gravity of these offences threatens the credibility of the medical education system. The Commission has taken a serious view of the matter,” the official told The Hindu.
The latest directive comes just ahead of the NEET-UG 2025 examination, scheduled for May 4.
The NTA, which conducted NEET-UG 2024, had earlier flagged several cases as “Unfair Means (UFM)”, which were reviewed by its dedicated UFM Committee. Based on the committee’s findings, 42 candidates have been debarred from appearing in NEET-UG for three years—2024, 2025, and 2026—while nine others have been barred for two years, covering 2025 and 2026.
In addition, the candidature of 215 candidates remains under review as the investigation continues.
A senior Central Government official said the NMC maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward academic fraud. “Such misconduct compromises the sanctity of the examination process and directly threatens the standards of medical education and public trust,” the official said.
NEET-UG is India’s sole nationwide entrance examination for undergraduate medical programmes and is among the largest in terms of candidates. Allegations of malpractice have plagued the 2024 edition, with reports of question paper leaks leading to arrests in Bihar and raids in Gujarat. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI.
Further controversy followed the declaration of results on June 4, 2024, when an unprecedented number of top scorers and statistically improbable marks triggered public outcry, legal challenges, and nationwide protests demanding a re-examination.
Published – May 02, 2025 09:15 pm IST
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