NEET Controversy: Congress Raises ‘Serious Questions’ About NTA’s Integrity

The Congress party has raised significant concerns about the integrity of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is currently facing allegations of irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 examination. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted these concerns in a post on X (formerly Twitter), questioning both the NTA’s integrity and the design and administration of NEET. He also criticized the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), claiming it has lost professionalism over the last decade.

Ramesh called for the issue to be prioritized, suggesting that an in-depth review of NEET, NTA, and NCERT should be undertaken once the Parliament’s new Standing Committees are formed. He also urged a proper analysis of what he termed the ‘CBSE issue.’

Reflecting on his tenure as a member of the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare from 2014 to 2019, Ramesh recalled the broad support for NEET but noted concerns from MPs, particularly from Tamil Nadu, who feared that NEET would favor CBSE students over those from non-CBSE schools. He argued that it is time to scrutinize whether NEET is discriminatory and if it disadvantages students from poorer backgrounds. Other states, like Maharashtra, have also expressed significant doubts about NEET.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi Joins EVM Debate After Elon Musk Flags Hacking Risk

The controversy surrounding this year’s NEET results, held on May 5 and declared on June 4, adds to these concerns. An unprecedented number of candidates (67) secured the first rank, and some aspirants who scored 720 out of 720 marks were among the 1,563 candidates given ‘grace marks’ to compensate for lost time. The timing of the result declaration, coinciding with the counting day of the recent national elections, further fueled the controversy.