The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to inform the Supreme Court that the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak was not widespread but confined to a “localised” incident, according to sources briefed by India Today.
In its sealed status report submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday, the CBI stated that the leak occurred at a single exam centre in Bihar and affected only a small number of students.
Contrary to earlier claims of widespread dissemination on social media, the CBI clarified that the leaked paper was not circulated online.
The agency’s findings are expected to clarify the extent of the paper leak and its implications for the exam.
The CBI’s stance aligns with the Centre’s position, which has opposed a complete retest for the 23 lakh students who took the NEET-UG exam on May 5.
In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the Centre asserted that there was no evidence of widespread malpractice in the exam. It cited data analytics from IIT-Madras, which found no abnormal score patterns that could indicate localized benefits to specific candidates.
Addressing concerns raised by the court, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) have emphasized that viral videos allegedly showing leaked question papers on platforms like Telegram were fabricated.
The NTA, responsible for conducting NEET-UG, defended its handling of the exam and results, highlighting a normal distribution of marks across national, state, city, and centre levels.
Both the CBI and the NTA’s submissions are crucial as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the matter on July 18, aiming to resolve the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak.
