NEET row: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, 'No evidence of paper leak in past 7 years'

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on day 1 of Budget Session, Pradhan said, "There is no evidence of paper leak in the last 7 years. This case is already in the Supreme Court. All questions have been put in front of the Supreme Court.

"The Honourable CJI is personally presiding over the case. I can say with full responsibility that more than 240 exams have been conducted successfully after NTA..."

Countering the minister, Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the issue is not just about NEET but "all major examinations" in the country.

Gandhi said, "It's obvious to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system. This is not just a question of NEET, it is in all the major examinations.

"The minister has blamed everybody except himself. I don't even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here."

NEET-UG 2024 row

The controversy arose when 67 students achieved perfect scores of 720 in the NEET-UG exam.

The NTA said this happened as some candidates were awarded grace marks due to a faulty question and logistical delays in paper distribution at some centers.

However, a Bihar Police investigation revealed that the exam paper had been leaked to a select group of candidates.

The NEET-UG exam, taken by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical students, was held on May 5, and the results were released on June 4.

Despite the NTA's efforts to manage the situation, allegations of a widespread leak continued with protests and legal actions nationwide.