NEET UG 2024 scam: Third party exam review finds alarming anomalies from missing CCTVs to unguarded strong rooms
NEW DELHI: A third-party review of the NEET undergraduate exam on May 5 found several problems at various exam centers. Key issues included the lack of the required two working CCTVs in exam rooms and unguarded strong rooms where question papers are stored, before being distributed in exam centres.
The purpose of this said review was to identify any non-compliance with established guidelines or signs of malpractice at the exam centers on the day of the examination
For this review, the third party visited 399 exam centers, a subset of approximately 4,000 centers, as agreed upon with the National Testing Agency (NTA).The evaluation on exam day revealed that many centers did not meet the established standards, as per various media reports.
Observers from the third-party review followed a detailed checklist, verifying physical controls at examination centers, such as the functioning of jammers, physical security, access control, proper frisking procedures, seating arrangements, and the presence of the required number of invigilators and CCTV staff.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET-UG exam, was notified of these findings by the third-party review on June 16, approximately 12 days after the exam results were announced, according to multiple media sources.
186 out of 399 exam centres lacked two-functional CCTV cameras
The review identified that 186 out of 399 exam centers (46%) lacked the mandated two functional CCTV cameras in each exam room. The live feed from these cameras is supposed to be sent to the Central Control Room at the NTA headquarters in New Delhi, where it is monitored by a team of experts.
Additionally, at 68 exam centers (16%), the strong rooms were found to be unguarded. According to regulations, these rooms must be guarded until the question papers are distributed.
The report also noted discrepancies in the biometric staff at 83 centers, where the personnel present were not the designated staff members.
In selecting an exam center for NEET-UG, the NTA considers various factors, including infrastructure quality, the center’s vulnerability to malpractice, seating capacity, accessibility, availability of clean facilities, and essential safety equipment.
NEET-UG paper leak row
The NTA has faced substantial criticism following the NEET-UG results announced on June 4, coinciding with the Lok Sabha election results. An unusually high number of candidates (67) achieved a perfect score of 720/720, while others scored 718 or 719, which some claimed was unlikely under the exam’s scheme. The NTA attributed these results to a relatively easier exam, awarding additional marks due to time lost from errors and delays by NTA staff and invigilators, and an incorrect question.
Moreover, the NTA is contending with allegations of a question paper leak in Bihar, where 13 people have been arrested. Among those arrested were four NEET candidates, along with their parents and members of an organized group. This group allegedly gathered 35 candidates for a mock exam at a school under the jurisdiction of the Ramakrishna Nagar police station and provided them with the NEET question paper and answers.
The purpose of this said review was to identify any non-compliance with established guidelines or signs of malpractice at the exam centers on the day of the examination
For this review, the third party visited 399 exam centers, a subset of approximately 4,000 centers, as agreed upon with the National Testing Agency (NTA).The evaluation on exam day revealed that many centers did not meet the established standards, as per various media reports.
Observers from the third-party review followed a detailed checklist, verifying physical controls at examination centers, such as the functioning of jammers, physical security, access control, proper frisking procedures, seating arrangements, and the presence of the required number of invigilators and CCTV staff.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET-UG exam, was notified of these findings by the third-party review on June 16, approximately 12 days after the exam results were announced, according to multiple media sources.
186 out of 399 exam centres lacked two-functional CCTV cameras
The review identified that 186 out of 399 exam centers (46%) lacked the mandated two functional CCTV cameras in each exam room. The live feed from these cameras is supposed to be sent to the Central Control Room at the NTA headquarters in New Delhi, where it is monitored by a team of experts.
Additionally, at 68 exam centers (16%), the strong rooms were found to be unguarded. According to regulations, these rooms must be guarded until the question papers are distributed.
The report also noted discrepancies in the biometric staff at 83 centers, where the personnel present were not the designated staff members.
In selecting an exam center for NEET-UG, the NTA considers various factors, including infrastructure quality, the center’s vulnerability to malpractice, seating capacity, accessibility, availability of clean facilities, and essential safety equipment.
NEET-UG paper leak row
The NTA has faced substantial criticism following the NEET-UG results announced on June 4, coinciding with the Lok Sabha election results. An unusually high number of candidates (67) achieved a perfect score of 720/720, while others scored 718 or 719, which some claimed was unlikely under the exam’s scheme. The NTA attributed these results to a relatively easier exam, awarding additional marks due to time lost from errors and delays by NTA staff and invigilators, and an incorrect question.
Moreover, the NTA is contending with allegations of a question paper leak in Bihar, where 13 people have been arrested. Among those arrested were four NEET candidates, along with their parents and members of an organized group. This group allegedly gathered 35 candidates for a mock exam at a school under the jurisdiction of the Ramakrishna Nagar police station and provided them with the NEET question paper and answers.
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