INDIA Bloc to move an Adjournment Motion in both houses of the Parliament over the NEET Row

The Opposition INDIA Bloc has decided to move an adjournment motion in both houses of Parliament this Friday over the contentious NEET Row. The motion will be brought on a day after President Draupadi Murmu's joint address to both houses. The decision to move the motion was taken during a meeting of Opposition leaders at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi on Thursday evening.

In her address on Thursday, President Draupadi Murmu highlighted her government’s commitment to conducting a "fair investigation into recent paper leaks." "My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations," said President Murmu, while the opposition members chanted "NEET, NEET, NET, NET" during her speech.

The NEET UG examinations for 2024 were conducted by the NTA on May 5. However, following the release of results on June 4, widespread student protests erupted, alleging irregularities and pointing out inconsistencies in the marking scheme, including the allocation of grace marks to students who reportedly did not have sufficient exam completion time. Moreover, accusations of paper leaks surfaced.

Subsequently, the initially granted grace marks were withdrawn. Candidates who had received these marks were given the option to participate in a retest held on June 23, with 813 out of 1563 eligible candidates attending. Meanwhile, Bihar police have arrested suspects believed to be involved in leaking the question paper for substantial sums of money. The Central Bureau of Investigation has launched a comprehensive investigation covering all aspects of the case.

Following the NEET UG controversy, the NEET PG exams were also postponed, with the announcement made less than 12 hours before the exams were scheduled on June 23. The Union Health Ministry has assured students that new examination dates for NEET PG will be announced soon.