Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chairs review meet on NEET re-exam preparations
New Delhi, May 19
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan conducted a high-level review meeting on Tuesday to take stock of the preparations for the conduct of NEET re-examinations.
The NEET re-examinations are slated for June 21 and will see more than 23 lakh candidates appearing again for the competitive test, as the May 3 examinations were cancelled after nationwide uproar over paper leaks.
The high-level meeting by the Education Minister comes in the backdrop of the cancellation of NEET examinations, followed by angry outbursts by several medical aspirants who called out the administration's apathy as well as incompetence in conducting a seamless and leak-proof exam.
Minister Pradhan stressed the need for complete integrity and transparency in the conduct of the examination and instructed the officials to ensure that all gaps are identified in the previous examination process and subsequently addressed and eliminated in the re-exams.
"The Re-NEET examination must be conducted in a secure, seamless and foolproof manner under stringent security protocols," the Education Minister emphasised at the high-level meet.
According to officials, directions have also been issued to hold coordination meetings with District Magistrates (DM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) across States to ensure robust monitoring and effective implementation of examination arrangements.
Underscoring that vigilance and security at examination centres must remain uncompromised, Dharmendra Pradhan also directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements for students, including transportation, drinking water and other essential facilities.
Several technical and administrative measures were also discussed at the meeting for making the examination process more transparent and reliable.
Notably, the NEET examinations were cancelled earlier this month, after investigators found ample evidence of several question papers similar to those of examinations, circulation in the public domain, including on WhatsApp and other digital mediums.
The Union Minister, in a press meet earlier, also signalled shifting the NEET examinations from paper-based to computer format to rule out chances of paper leak and other discrepancies.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see the minister taking responsibility. But shifting to computer-based format isn't a magic bullet—what about rural students with limited digital access? A mixed approach might be better. Let's see if they actually fix the systemic flaws.
As a NEET aspirant from a small town, I appreciate the efforts but am skeptical. They said the same thing last year! At least they're involving DMs and SPs now. Just want a fair chance without any cheating. 🙏✨
Paper leaks are a national shame. The minister's focus on transparency is welcome, but what about punishing those who leaked it? Until the guilty are caught and made an example, this will keep happening. Accountability matters!
Sab theek hai but 23 lakh students ka pressure unmanageable hai. Hope they at least provide proper facilities at centers—drinking water, transport, etc. Last time in my city, students had to sit in 40°C heat without fans. Bas itna toh karo. 🙏
I'm not a medical student but this affects everyone's trust in our education system. The computer-based idea has merits but also risks—servers crashing, power cuts in rural areas. Hope they have backup plans. Good luck to all appearing! 🍀
P We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.