NEET UG counselling deferred amid allegations of irregularities

The counselling for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET UG, originally scheduled to begin soon, has been deferred until further notice. The new date for the counselling has yet to be announced.

Sources informed India Today TV that exam authorities are waiting for a court hearing in the case, which is scheduled for July 8.

This decision follows allegations of irregularities, including a paper leak, in the NEET exam. Moments after the announcement, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the BJP government, claiming that the future of many students is at risk under their leadership.

"The whole NEET-UG issue is getting worse by the day. The non-biological PM and his biological Education Minister are adding further proof to their demonstrated incompetence and insensitivity," Ramesh said in a post on X. "The future of lakhs of our youth is simply unsafe in their hands."

On July 5, amid growing demands to cancel the NEET-UG 2024 exam over alleged malpractices, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) informed the Supreme Court that scrapping the exam would be "counterproductive" and would "seriously jeopardise" honest candidates without proof of large-scale confidentiality breaches.

The NTA, responsible for conducting the NEET exam for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses, along with the Union Education Ministry, has been at the center of media debates and protests. Allegations have included question paper leaks and impersonation during the test held on May 5.

The Union Education Ministry and the NTA have filed affidavits opposing the pleas to scrap the exam, arguing that it would unfairly affect genuine candidates. They also mentioned that the CBI, the country's premier investigating agency, has taken over cases registered in different states related to the exam.