The Maharashtra government has urgently called for the cancellation of last month's NEET exam, alleging that its results have unjustly affected students from the state.
Numerous candidates of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), held on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, have previously claimed that mark inflation resulted in a record 67 candidates securing the top rank, including six from the same exam centre in Haryana. The exam results were announced on June 4.
However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) refuted any irregularities, attributing the higher scores to changes in NCERT textbooks and grace marks awarded for time lost at exam centres.
Speaking on the matter, Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif stated on Friday, "The NEET exams were likely conducted under questionable circumstances. The outcomes are such that no Maharashtra student will secure admission for the MBBS course in government or private colleges within the state." He added that many parents have approached him seeking redressal.
"This has disadvantaged Maharashtra and must be cancelled immediately. We will inform the NMC (National Medical Council) about it," he asserted.
Mushrif indicated that the government is contemplating legal action on the matter.
NEET-UG serves as the qualifying entrance exam for admission to various medical courses including MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, BHMS, and BSc (H) Nursing.
There are over 80,000 MBBS seats across more than 540 medical colleges in the country.
Previously, the Congress had criticised the government over the matter.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged for the resolution of students' "valid grievances" through an investigation. "Firstly, the NEET exam paper was allegedly leaked, and now students claim there's a scam in the results as well. Serious concerns arise from six students from the same centre securing 720 out of 720 marks, and various irregularities emerging," Gandhi remarked.
She highlighted reports of student suicides following the result announcement, questioning why the government is disregarding the concerns of lakhs of students.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also opposed NEET, arguing that it undermines social justice and federalism.
Stating on X, he noted, "Issues such as question paper leaks, clustering of toppers at specific centres, and awarding mathematically implausible marks under the guise of grace marks underscore the flaws of the current centralisation by the union government. These incidents stress the importance of reinstating the prominence of state governments' and school education systems' roles in determining criteria for professional course selection."
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