Sources confirm that Indian authorities have thrown a ring of steel around the re-sit of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical students, after a massive paper leak threatened the integrity of the exam. The leak, which exposed question papers days before the original test, has sent shockwaves through the medical education system and drawn scrutiny from British universities that admit Indian students.
A senior official in the Indian Ministry of Education told this reporter: 'We have deployed encryption, biometric verification, and CCTV monitoring at every test centre. Anyone caught with a mobile phone will face immediate disqualification.' The official added that over 150,000 candidates are sitting the re-sit across 200 centres, with special observers from the Central Bureau of Investigation stationed at high-risk locations.
The original leak, uncovered by local journalists in Bihar, involved question papers being sold for up to £10,000 per copy. Police have arrested 12 suspects, including two former employees of the exam body. The scandal has stoked public outrage in India, where dishonest practices in state-run exams are a recurring problem.
British universities are watching closely. A spokesperson for the Russell Group confirmed: 'We are in touch with Indian partners to ensure that results from the re-sit are credible. Any candidate found to have benefited from the leak will have their application revoked.' Admissions from India to UK medical schools have jumped 25% in two years, worth millions in tuition fees.
But the question remains: is the fix enough? The exam body has promised a 'zero tolerance' approach, but cynics note that similar promises were made after a 2018 leak that led to only one conviction. If the re-sit is compromised, it could trigger a wider crisis of confidence in Indian medical qualifications.
For now, candidates in Lucknow told me they feel 'safer but suspicious'. One said: 'The extra security is good, but what about the original leak? The exam body says it's under control. I don't believe them.'
As the re-sit begins, the trail of money and unaccountable power behind this scandal is far from finished. This paper will keep digging.