Admission in Government Medical Colleges in Rs 20 Lakhs: Brokers Claim, Sanctity of NEET-UG Questioned
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 3: Even as the National Testing Agency (NTA) is scheduled to hold the re-test on June 21 of the cancelled National Eligibility cum Entrance Test- Under Graduate (NEET – UG) examinations for over 22.79 lakh candidates for medical admissions, a fresh allegation has emerged over the sanctity of the tests with brokers claiming that they can manipulate Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets.
The May 3 NEET-UG) was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. The controversy reportedly spread across multiple states, with claims that question papers were being sold through encrypted messaging platforms for around Rs 15 lakh. In a fresh allegation, brokers have reportedly claimed that they can help candidates secure admission to government medical colleges by manipulating their OMR answer sheets in exchange for approximately Rs 20 lakh. Ahmedabad resident Shubham Thaker has claimed to have recorded conversations with the alleged brokers and submitted a written complaint to the Gujarat Cyber Cell.
According to the claims made by the brokers, candidates only need to provide details of their examination centre. The brokers allegedly advise students to leave their OMR answer sheets completely blank during the examination. They reportedly claim that certain staff members and officials at selected examination centres can be “managed” through financial payments, allowing correct answers to be filled in on the blank OMR sheets after the test concludes.
To avoid attracting suspicion, the alleged racket reportedly does not promise top ranks or exceptionally high scores. Instead, it claims to secure only enough marks to help a candidate obtain admission to a government medical college. The alleged scheme was reportedly exposed by Shubham Thaker, who appeared for the NEET examination in 2023 and 2024. Thakkar claimed that he recorded the entire conversation with the brokers and submitted the evidence to the Gujarat Cyber Cell. Authorities have reportedly initiated an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the newly-formed Cockroach Janta Party held its first press conference on Wednesday and said it was ready for a dialogue with both the government and the Opposition over its demands, even as it prepared for a protest in the national capital later this week demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET and CBSE fiasco.
Addressing the party’s first press conference at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, the CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, an independent journalist, dismissed the government’s transfer of CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh and secretary Himanshu Gupta on Tuesday as an “eyewash.”
The party appealed to young people from across the country to participate in the proposed protest. “We have given an open call. Anybody can join us without a party banner. We are ready to have a dialogue with everybody, be it those in power or the Opposition,” Mr Das said, referring to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s call for a protest on June 6.
“We are demanding accountability in the system. We have been demanding the resignation of the education minister, but no action has been taken against him till date. The transfers are being projected as action. It’s not. There’s a rot in the system,” Mr Das added.
On May 22, the Delhi High Court issued Das a notice alongside AAP leader Gopal Rai on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against them over an alleged “orchestrated social media campaign” against Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who recently withdrew from hearing the Delhi excise case.
Mr Das said upon landing in Delhi at 8 a.m. on June 6, Mr Dipke, who is pursuing higher education in the US, will head to Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station to seek permission for the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The noted climate activist from Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk has also announced to join the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar if Mr Pradhan did not resign till then.
Referring to the possibility of police action against Mr Dipke upon his arrival in Delhi, another CJP spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya, described by the party as a political researcher, author and filmmaker, said, “If Sonam Wangchuk could be arrested, Dipke could be arrested as well. If he’s arrested, more people will rally behind us.”
Responding to questions about CJP’s alleged links with the AAP, CJP functionary Ashutosh Ranka said, “Our past affiliations are not important. This fight is bigger than that. CJP is bigger than an individual or any organisation.” Mr Ranka, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and the London School of Economics, previously worked with global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in London. He has also been appointed a spokesperson for the CJP.
Mr Dahiya said the movement reflected growing dissatisfaction among young people with the political system. “The way this movement has captured the imagination shows that an entire generation is dissatisfied with the state of affairs,” he said.
Responding to questions on the venue for the proposed protest, Ranka said the organisers were hopeful of receiving permission from the authorities. “Jantar Mantar has historically been a site for peaceful dissent. We are confident that police will give us permission,” he said.
