A 22-year-old man, Anurag Yadav, has been arrested in connection with an alleged leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admissions. His arrest is part of a broader scandal that has sparked nationwide protests and placed the central government under intense scrutiny. Over 24 lakh students sat for the NEET exam on May 5, and irregularities that emerged after the results on June 4 have led to demands for a re-examination.
Anurag Yadav, who was preparing for the NEET exam in the coaching hub of Kota, Rajasthan, told police that his uncle, Sikandar Yadavendu, assured him that the exam was "all sorted" and called him back to Samastipur, Bihar. "My uncle works as a junior engineer at Danapur municipal council. He told me to come back to Samastipur, saying 'exam ka setting ho chuka hai' (the exam is all set). I returned to Samastipur, and my uncle dropped me at the home of Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar," Anurag recounted in his police statement.
Anurag revealed that Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar gave him a set of questions and answers to memorize. "The next day, when I went for the exam, I found all the questions I had prepared. After the exam, police suddenly arrested me," he said.
In addition to Anurag, Sikandar Yadavendu, Amit Anand, and Nitish Kumar have also been arrested. Sikandar admitted to the police that Amit and Nitish demanded 30-32 lakh rupees per student for the NEET question paper. "I told them I have four students taking the test. Out of greed, I told each student that they need to pay ?40 lakh for the question paper," Sikandar reportedly confessed.
The NEET paper leak scandal has revealed numerous irregularities in this year's examination. Remarkably, 67 students scored a perfect 720/720, with six of them coming from the same center in Haryana. This unprecedented high cut-off has left many students anxious about securing a medical college seat.
In response to the scandal, the government informed the Supreme Court that the high scores were due to grace marking at some centers because of lost time. The Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) have since cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates. Amid these irregularities, a section of examinees is demanding a retest.
The Education Ministry has ordered a thorough investigation by the CBI to ensure accountability and integrity in the examination process. As the scandal unfolds, the government's handling of the situation will be closely watched, with many calling for reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.
