CBI sends teams to Patna and Godhra for NEET case probe
The HinduThe Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case to probe the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the recent National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate medical programmes, known as NEET-UG. The CBI’s first information report says that there were “certain isolated incidents” in a few States during the the NEET-UG examination, which was conducted on May 5 by the National Testing Agency in 4,750 centres for over 23 lakh candidates. “Therefore, the Ministry of Education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes, and middlemen, including attempted irregularities,” the agency said. The Education Ministry recommended the CBI probe after examining the findings of the Bihar police’s Economic Offences Unit, which has now picked up six more people from Deoghar in Jharkhand for their involvement in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. Last week, the CBI registered a case against unknown persons following an Education Ministry complaint alleging that the integrity of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test examination, also conducted by the NTA, may have also been compromised, based on inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs.