Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday that the NEET-UG re-examination would be held on June 21 and students would be given a week to choose their preferred city for the test.
The announcement comes three days after the National Testing Agency cancelled the May 3 exam following confirmation by Rajasthan's Special Operations Group that leaked question papers matched the actual test. The CBI has since registered a case and made seven arrests. The agency also suspected NTA insider link to the leak.
Admit cards will be issued by June 14, Pradhan said at a press conference in Delhi.
'Mafia Conspiracy'
Pradhan appealed directly to the roughly 22 lakh students who sat for the exam, urging them not to lose heart. "I want to appeal to society, especially to all students, to appear for the examination without fear. The government stands with you. This decision has been taken in the interest of meritorious students," he said.
He defended the decision to cancel and re-conduct the exam as necessary and unavoidable. "I want to say again that we did not want any mafia conspiracy or money power to snatch away your seat. We did not want that to happen. That is why we had to take a tough decision. Students' trust is paramount for us," he said.
Government Response To Leak
Pradhan walked through the government's timeline of action. "The examination was conducted on May 3. By May 7, objections were received through NTA's grievance redressal system stating that certain questions appearing in the alleged 'guess papers' had also appeared in this year's question set," he said.
He added that once clarity was established between May 8 and 11 that questions had indeed been leaked under the guise of guess papers, the government acted on May 12.
"At first glance, the issue appeared to be connected to two or three states, so coordination was established with the agencies of those states as well," he said. "We did not want any deserving student to be deprived of their rights because of the conspiracy of education mafias."
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NEET To Go Computer-Based From Next Year
Pradhan also announced a structural change aimed at preventing future leaks. "One important point I wanted to mention is that, from next year, the root issue will be addressed. The NEET examination will be conducted as a computer-based test instead of OMR," he said.
The shift to a computer-based format would eliminate the physical paper trail that made the current leak possible, bringing NEET in line with other major competitive examinations.
ALSO READ: NEET Paper Leak: NTA Insider Involvement Likely, CBI Tells Court; Seven Arrested So Far
What Students Need To Know
Students will have one week from now to log in to the NTA portal and select their preferred exam city.
Admit cards will be issued by June 14, giving candidates roughly a week to prepare for the June 21 re-test. The minister urged all eligible students to register their city preference promptly and appear for the exam without hesitation.
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