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New Delhi:

Amid concerns about the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission into medical colleges, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan admitted “improvements are needed” in the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the nationwide exam for medical college aspirants. 

Speaking to news agency ANI, the minister assured action against NTA officials if they were found guilty of the “irregularities” in NEET 2024 (Undergraduate) exams.

“On the recommendations of the Supreme Court, the order has been given for retest of 1,563 candidates. Some irregularities have come to light in two places. I assure students and parents that the government has taken this seriously,” Dharmendra Pradhan told ANI.

“Even if the big officials of the NTA are found guilty, they will not be spared. A lot of improvement is required in NTA. The government is concerned about this, no culprit will be spared, they will get the harshest punishment,” he said.

Last week, the NTA told the Supreme Court that grace marks given to 1,563 candidates in the NEET-UG exam would be scrapped and the candidates had the option of taking the exam again on June 23. The results of the re-test will be declared before June 30, the top court was told.

If any of these candidates chose to not take the re-test, their earlier score would be reinstated without the extra marks.

Results for the medical entrance examination, which was taken by 24 lakh students on May 5, were declared on June 4. Allegations of an exam paper leak soon surfaced. As many as 67 students got a perfect score of 720/720.

Grace marks were given to several students allegedly to compensate for loss of time at the exam centre.

Many student organizations have protested over the alleged NEET irregularities, including wrong question papers being distributed, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets being torn, or delays in the distribution of the sheets.

Amid opposition attacks over the exam row, the Education Minister had told NDTV that students and parents should not panic.

“Certain allegations and loose information are coming in. Let us wait for the probe by the authorities concerned. Let’s wait till July 8 for the Supreme Court’s judgment. There’s nothing to hide…” he told NDTV.