There was an outcry in the state after some students in Nongpoh apparently received wrong paper sets in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate examination for 2024, organised by the National Testing Agency.
The test was conducted on Sunday.
According to the students, they sat for the medical entrance examination and received two sets of question papers. When they asked the invigilator which set they had to answer, they were apparently told both. However, 90 minutes into the 3-hour exam, they were again told by the invigilator that one set is an incorrect examination paper set and they should not attempt to answer those questions, though those that had already done so had wasted precious time.
Due to time constraints, the students could not attempt all the questions on the ‘correct’ question paper.
Aggrieved parents of the students, on being informed by their children of the incident, rushed to the concerned examination centre seeking a re-sit of the question paper as they blamed the examination centre for the issue.
‘No leak of question paper’
The reports claiming question paper leak in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG are “completely baseless and without any ground”, the National Testing Agency (NTA) clarified today.
Stressing that every question paper has been “accounted for”, the NTA said that purported images of the question paper circulating on social media have no relation with the actual paper.
“It has been ascertained from NTA’s security protocols and Standard Operating Procedures that the social media posts pointing towards any paper leak are completely baseless and without any ground.
“To put rumours to rest, it is also stated that every single question paper has been accounted for,” said Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director, NTA.
Ms. Parashar said that no external person or agency can access the centres once the examination starts.
She said that after the gates of the examination centres are closed, no one from outside is permitted access inside the halls, which are under CCTV surveillance.
“All other photographs of question papers circulating in social media have no relation to the actual examination question paper which has been administered,” she added.
The entrance exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities including 14 cities abroad. (PTI)