The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Sunday took over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam by registering a criminal case while the National Testing Agency (NTA) sent show-cause notices threatening debarment to 17 candidates in Patna, based on the report sent to the Centre by the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit. According to sources, the Education Ministry is of the view that the irregularities mentioned in the Bihar EOU report are a “localised problem” that can be addressed by debarring the candidates involved. Although the NTA’s action against the 17 candidates (from 12 exam centres) rules out a decision on a full-fledged retest for now, ministry officials said the final decision will be taken by the Supreme Court once it starts hearing a batch of petitions pertaining to the controversy-hit NEET-UG. Apart from the Patna candidates, the NTA has also issued show-cause notices to 30 candidates who appeared at two centres in Godhra, Gujarat, where they were allegedly helped by invigilators and staff in filling in the correct answers on their OMR sheets. Also on Sunday, after the CBI registered the criminal case, the Bihar and Gujarat governments issued notifications to transfer their local NEET-UG “paper leak” cases to the central agency. “An FIR has been registered with Godhra Taluka Police Station on the malpractice committed in this exam. The state government has decided to transfer investigation of this case to CBI so that extensive investigation could be held in the entire matter,” a Gujarat government statement said. The Bihar EOU, too, said it has handed over its probe to the CBI. These developments came a day after the Education Ministry announced an expert committee headed by former ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan to look into exam reforms and review the NTA’s functioning. The Ministry also removed Subodh Kumar Singh as NTA chief on Saturday. Singh’s successor, Pradeep Singh Karola, a retired 1985-batch IAS officer, took charge Sunday and is learnt to have met the Higher Education Secretary and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Asked why the government removed Singh, a senior official, requesting anonymity, said: “The NTA leadership was not able to inspire confidence in students… for instance, the decision to award grace marks for loss of time created unnecessary confusion.” According to sources, the eight-member committee is expected to hold its first meeting Monday. The CBI case is based on a written complaint from the Union government’s Higher Education Department. The central agency has been told by the Education Ministry to look into a range of alleged irregularities — including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen — as per the FIR. “The complaint… alleges that certain isolated incidents occurred in a few States during the conduct of the NEET(UG) 2024 examination,” a CBI statement said. “The Ministry has also requested CBI for investigation into the role of public servants, if any, connected with the conduct of the examination and also into the entire gamut of events and the larger conspiracy.” A CBI spokesperson said the agency has formed special teams to investigate the matter. These teams were sent to Patna and Godhra, where local police had registered cases before transferring them to the CBI. The agency is also probing the alleged paper leak in the UGC-NET exam held on June 18. On Saturday, a CBI team that was in Bihar’s Nawada district to question a person in connection with this alleged leak was surrounded by a mob, sparking a scuffle. A statement from Nawada SP Ambarish Rahul said: “At around 4.30 pm on June 22, we learnt that a CBI team was surrounded by a mob at Kasiyadih village under Rajouli. As we learnt about some people engaging in scuffle with the CBI team, we rushed a patrolling team to the spot. The police brought the CBI team to Rajouli police station safely.” Police Sunday booked and arrested four village residents on the charges of causing hurt and stopping public servants from doing their duty. The SP later told reporters: “The CBI had not informed us about its team’s visit. We came to know about their visit only after they were gheraoed.” A Nawada police officer said requesting anonymity: “The CBI team had gone to a house of a person without adequate police cover. As they started questioning a suspect, fellow villagers got furious and gheraoed the CBI team.” —With inputs from ENS Ahmedabad and Patna
