NEET UG row: Cong alleges ‘organised corruption’ in BJP-ruled states, calls for pan-India protest on June 21

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday asked all party units to hold protest against the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 results on June 21.

The Lok Sabha MP-elect from Kerala’s Alappuzha constituency has alleged that there has been organised corruption in BJP-ruled states, which is evident from arrests made in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana.

“The examination has been plagued by technical glitches, malpractice, and unfair means in certain test centres. Organised corruption is evident from arrests made in Bihar, Gujarat, and Haryana, revealing a pattern of malpractice in BJP-ruled states,” Venugopal has written in his letter.

Venugopal has remarked that the Supreme Court has also highlighted the seriousness of these allegations, demanding zero tolerance for negligence.

“Such irregularities undermine the credibility of the examination process and jeopardise the future of countless dedicated students. The Congress party had promised to secure the future of the youth by enforcing strict laws against paper leaks in our manifesto," said Venugopal.

“Against this massive corruption and irregularities in the NEET Examination and the desperate inaction and silence of the NDA government, all Pradesh Congress Committees are requested to hold massive protests at state headquarters on June 21, 2024,” he added.

Venugopal has also asked the state units to protest along with senior leaders, demanding justice for the students and send him a detailed report on the protest activities.

This comes after the results caused an uproar, with aspirants and parents demanding a probe and re-examination, alleging that the paper was leaked at certain centres.

The NEET-UG, earlier called the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is the only entrance exam held each year for students seeking admission to undergraduate medical courses in all medical institutions throughout the country.

This year, on May 5, over 24 lakh students appeared for NEET exam at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 international locations.

The result was declared on June 4, which immediately caused a hue and cry with aspirants raising multiple issues, such as the awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 students, an unusually high number of students achieving perfect scores, and allegations of a leaked question paper.