Left students' group calls for 2-day nationwide strike over NEET row

Left-wing students’ groups on Saturday called for a two-day nationwide strike to protest the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical admissions.

A massive row erupted after a record number of 67 students scored the highest marks, with some of these high scorers coming from the same exam centre in Haryana, leading to allegations of cheating or a paper leak. Students alleged that inflated grace marks were given and questioned the practice.

The All India Students' Association (AISA) called for the strike on June 19 and 20 to protest against the alleged corruption and mismanagement by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the examination.

AISA Delhi State Secretary Neha alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remained silent on the issue. She highlighted the plight of students and parents. NEET aspirants and students also expressed their concerns at a press conference held in New Delhi.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students Union president Dhananjay condemned the NTA, describing the NEET 2024 irregularities as symptomatic of a deeper systemic problem.

AISA, which demanded re-conducting the exam, an independent enquiry into the alleged corruption and the dissolution of the NTA, urged students across the country to take part in the strike.

Meanwhile, a group of 20 students who had appeared for the medical entrance exam filed a plea in the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking the scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam. The top court is already hearing other petitions on the matter.

The new petition also demanded an SC-monitored probe by the CBI or any other independent agency into the alleged irregularities and sought a direction to the NTA and others to conduct the test afresh.

The central government and the NTA had on Thursday told the top court that they had cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination. These candidates will have the option to either take a retest or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for the loss of time. A retest is scheduled for June 23 for those who want to write the exam again.

The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, and around 24 lakh candidates took it. The results were announced on June 4, ahead of the expected date of June 14.