NEET Re-Exam: NTA, NMC And Ministry Of Education Officials To Brief Parliament Committee Today

Senior officials from NTA, NMC and key ministries will brief a parliamentary panel today on the June 21 NEET UG re-test.

Parliamentary Panel to Question NTA, NMC and Ministry Officials Today

Source : ABPLIVE AI

As preparations for the NEET UG re-test gather pace, senior officials from the Union Health Ministry, Ministry of Education, National Testing Agency (NTA), and National Medical Commission (NMC) are scheduled to appear before a Parliamentary Standing Committee on June 10 to discuss the conduct of the upcoming examination. 

The briefing comes ahead of the NEET UG re-examination slated for June 21 and follows mounting scrutiny over the cancellation of the earlier test conducted on May 3 amid allegations of a paper leak.  

Parliamentary Panel to Review NEET Re-Test Preparations 

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has called top officials, including the Secretaries of Higher Education and Health, along with senior representatives of the NTA and NMC. 

The committee is expected to seek details regarding the arrangements being made for the re-examination and assess measures aimed at ensuring a fair and secure testing process. 

This marks the third occasion on which senior officials from the ministries, NTA and NMC have appeared before parliamentary panels regarding the NEET issue. Previously, they briefed the Parliamentary Committees on Education and Government Assurances, where officials reportedly stated that their immediate priority was the successful conduct of the June 21 NEET UG re-test in pen-and-paper mode. 

Focus on NEET Cancellation and Paper Leak Investigation 

The latest meeting comes in the backdrop of the cancellation of the NEET UG examination held on May 3 after reports of a paper leak surfaced. 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been probing the alleged irregularities. CBI Director Praveen Sood has already appeared before a parliamentary committee and provided updates on the investigation into the paper leak case, including efforts to identify and apprehend those involved. 

The issue has triggered widespread concern among students and parents. Reports of student suicides following the cancellation have further intensified public attention on the examination process and the upcoming re-test. 

Committee to Examine NTA's Handling of the Issue 

The Parliamentary Committee on Health will hear submissions from the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) and the Secretary, Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education), along with senior officers of NMC and NTA on ‘Conduct of NEET examinations under NMC Act, 2019’. 

The appearance is part of the committee's broader review of the subject 'Organizational Structure, Mandate and Functional Proficiency of Regulatory Institutions pertaining to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare'. 

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has also sought detailed responses from the NTA regarding the alleged paper leak controversy. 

According to sources, the panel has asked the testing agency to clarify what qualifies as a "paper leak" and whether any such incidents have occurred in examinations conducted by the NTA since 2018. 

The committee has additionally sought written replies from the NTA and the CBSE regarding the NEET controversy and the ongoing concerns surrounding the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. 

The panel has also questioned whether the NTA conducted any internal inquiry into allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination apart from the ongoing CBI investigation.