NEET row: ‘Serious questions’ on NTA's integrity, says Congress

The NEET issue must be given ‘highest priority’ in the Parliament, said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

The Congress on Sunday said that there were ‘serious questions’ on the integrity of the National Testing Agency (NTA), under fire for alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 exam.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (File Photo/PTI)

“There are serious questions on the integrity of the NTA itself and the manner in which NEET is designed and administered. NCERT itself has lost all professionalism in the last decade,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Calling for the issue to be given ‘highest priority’, the Rajya Sabha member hoped that immediately after the formation of the Parliament's new Standing Committees, an ‘in-depth’ review of the NEET, NTA, and NCERT would be taken up.

Ramesh also demanded a ‘proper analysis’ of the 'CBSE issue.’

“I was a member of Parliament's Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare between 2014 and 2019 and recall broad support for NEET. But there were MPs, especially from Tamil Nadu, who had raised concerns that NEET would privilege CBSE students and disadvantage students from non-CBSE schools,” he wrote.

“I do think now that this CBSE issue needs proper analysis. Is NEET discriminatory? Are students from poorer backgrounds being denied opportunities? Other states like Maharashtra also have expressed deep doubts on NEET,” he added.

This year, the all-India medical entrance examination for undergraduates was held on May 5 and its results were declared on June 4. However, the results generated controversy due to an unprecedented number of candidates (67) securing the first rank. Additionally, a few aspirants who scored 720 out of 720 marks, were among 1563 candidates given ‘grace marks’ to make up for their 'loss of time.' The date of result declaration also raised eyebrows as it coincided with the counting day of the recently concluded national elections.

That some candidates scored 718/719 marks despite a marking scheme of +4 for each correct answer and -1 for every wrong response, was questioned as well.