New Delhi: A third-party review of the NEET undergraduate exam conducted this year has unearthed troubling lapses at several exam centres on May 5. The review, initiated to assess compliance with exam protocols, discovered significant irregularities including the absence of mandated CCTV cameras and unguarded strong rooms where question papers are stored.Allegations of paper leaks According to sources, the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting NEET-UG, received official notification of the review findings on June 16, nearly 12 days after the examination results were declared amidst controversies, including allegations of paper leaks.Review focued on 399 centres out of 4,000 The review focused on 399 exam centres out of approximately 4,000, selected through mutual agreement between the NTA and the third-party reviewer. It revealed that 46% of the visited centres did not have the required two functioning CCTV cameras in each exam room. These cameras are supposed to transmit live feeds to the NTAs Central Control Room in New Delhi for continuous monitoring.Strong rooms were found unguarded Additionally, at 16% of the centres inspected, the strong rooms were found unguarded, contrary to protocol which mandates security until the distribution of question papers. Furthermore, discrepancies were noted at 83 centres where biometric staff did not match the designated personnel assigned to those roles. The objective of the review was to identify deviations from prescribed guidelines and potential malpractices during the examination. Observers from the third-party deployed a detailed checklist covering various aspects such as physical security measures, seating arrangements, invigilator presence, and adherence to examination protocols.NTA considers multiple factors The selection of exam centres by the NTA considers multiple factors including infrastructure standards, vulnerability to malpractice, seating capacity, accessibility, and provision of essential facilities.NTA facing criticism The NTA has faced criticism following the June 4 announcement of NEET-UG results, which saw an unusually high number of perfect scores and allegations of discrepancies. The agency attributed these anomalies to various factors including paper difficulty, compensatory marking for exam disruptions, and erroneous questions.Question paper leaks in BiharMoreover, allegations of question paper leaks in Bihar have resulted in 13 arrests, involving candidates, parents, and alleged gang members accused of organizing mock exams with leaked materials. Meanwhile, two exam centres in Godhra, Gujarat, are under investigation by state authorities for allegedly facilitating cheating during the exam. The NTA is expected to address these issues as it prepares for future examinations under heightened scrutiny and public scrutiny.
