NEW DELHI: Scores of students on Monday held protests in the national capital demanding a probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.
While the members of Left-affiliated students' unions protested near the education ministry, those from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS's student wing, staged a sit-in near the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters in Okhla.
The NTA, which conducts the NEET, on Saturday said the education ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates.
The move came amid allegations of inflation of marks leading to 67 candidates sharing the first rank in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam.
"Students demand an independent and transparent investigation into the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam to ensure accountability," Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) vice president Avijit Ghosh said.
"We demand the ministry to establish a more reliable and secure examination system to safeguard the integrity of entrance exams," Ghosh said.
The student community stands united in demanding a fair and transparent exam system.
The future of countless students is at stake and the ministry must take immediate action to address these critical issues, Ghosh was quoted as saying in a statement.
Meanwhile, the ABVP demanded a CBI investigation into the matter and called for taking steps to ensure transparency in all examinations conducted by the NTA.
According to a statement released by right-wing students' body, the results showed widespread irregularities.
In the results, 67 students have secured the first position.
There are also allegations of a paper leak.
Considering these issues, the ABVP protested at the NTA headquarters and demanded a CBI investigation, the statement said.
ABVP national secretary Shivangi Kharwal said, "We demand a CBI investigation and have also put forth other detailed demands in the memorandum to the NTA for a fair and transparent conduction of examinations to ensure such situations must not arise again."
The NTA has denied any irregularities and said the changes made in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres were some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.
The issue has also taken a political turn with several parties raising concerns about the authenticity of the national exam for medical courses.
The result of the medical entrance exam was announced on June 4 and thereafter aspirants have been alleging multiple issues, including irregularities in the test demanding a fresh examination.
Sixty-seven candidates had shared the first rank in the exam including eight from the same centre in Haryana.
More than 24 lakh candidates had registered for the exam this year.