The Indian government has announced a mass resit of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for 1,563 candidates after an investigation uncovered a widespread paper leak. Sources confirm that the compromised exam, held on May 5, saw answer keys leaked via encrypted messaging apps hours before the test. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 13 individuals, including four medical students and two middlemen, who allegedly paid up to 5 million rupees for early access.
The resit, scheduled for June 25, will be conducted under unprecedented security: biometric verification, jammers, and CCTV monitoring in all 167 centres. This scandal follows a pattern of systemic corruption in India's education sector, where organised crime networks profit from selling exam papers. Uncovered documents reveal that the leak originated from a printing press in Jharkhand, where a former employee copied the question papers.
The Ministry of Education has promised a zero-tolerance policy, but critics argue that the damage is done. Thousands of honest students now face delays in their medical careers, and the integrity of one of India's toughest exams has been shattered.