NEET paper leak: Parliamentary panel summons Education Ministry, NTA, CBI officials

A parliamentary panel has called senior officials from the Union Education Ministry, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the CBI to appear before it on Friday over assurances linked to the conduct of examinations by the testing agency.According to a notice issued by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Wednesday, the Committee on Government Assurances will hear the views of Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh and CBI Director Praveen Sood. The meeting is scheduled for 11 am on Friday.The matter is related to an assurance given in the Rajya Sabha in response to an unstarred question dated November 27, 2024, on the “Conduct of Examination by NTA”.In its written reply to the question in November, 2024, the Education Ministry had stated the CBI was conducting a “comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities including conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust etc.” and had filed five charge sheets against 45 accused as on November 22, 2024.This year’s NEET-UG exam for medical admissions was held on May 3 but was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. The matter is currently under investigation by the CBI and a retest has been scheduled for June 21.The parliamentary panel will also hear the views of Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava, National Medical Commission chairman Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth and the CBI Director over another assurance linked to the “Medical College Scam”.In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha in July 2025, the Health Ministry had said the CBI registered an FIR in New Delhi under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act over alleged irregularities involving dummy faculty, fake inspections and falsified patient records.