Isolated incidents should not affect lakhs of students: Dharmendra Pradhan on NEET issue
Centre forms high-level committee to review functioning of NTA
New Delhi, Jun 20: Amid demand by the opposition to re-conduct the medical entrance exam NEET, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said isolated incidents of malpractices should not affect lakhs of students who cleared the examination rightfully.
He announced a high-level panel to look into the functioning of the testing agency NTA.
Addressing a press conference here, Pradhan also appealed to the opposition parties not to politicise the issue and said strict action would be taken against those found guilty, including officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The high-level committee to review and improve the functioning of NTA would be notified soon, the minister said.
About the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination for selection of junior research fellows, assistant professors and PhD scholars, Pradhan said the exam paper was leaked on Darknet.
"Let us have faith in our systems and no irregularities or malpractices will be tolerated by the government," he said.
The NEET examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared for it. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, saying the evaluation of the answer sheets got completed earlier.
As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
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FIR filed against TMC's Abhishek over 'inflammatory' remarks during Bengal polls
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal Police on Saturday said they have registered an FIR against Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee for allegedly making inflammatory statements during the recently concluded assembly elections.
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint filed by Social activist Rajib Sarkar at Baguiati Police Station in North 24 Parganas district on May 5, a day after the assembly election results were declared, alleging that the TMC national general secretary made provocative comments on post-poll violence and the vote counting process, a senior officer said.
The complainant also claimed that Banerjee's inflammatory comments were linked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said.
"Following due procedure after the filing of the complaint, an FIR was formally registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate on May 15," the officer said.
The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Representation of the People Act, he said.
The complainant accused Banerjee of delivering inflammatory speeches during several election-related programmes between April 27 and May 3.
“The complainant alleged that certain remarks made during public meetings were provocative in nature and had the potential to disturb public order and communal harmony. The contents are being examined as part of the investigation,” the police officer added.
