The Union government has requested assistance from states to ensure the free and fair conduct of central entrance examinations. This request comes in the wake of controversies surrounding alleged irregularities during the NEET-UG 2024 test and the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination due to paper leak claims.
In a meeting with Chief Secretaries and Police heads of all states last week, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla sought the states’ help in overseeing the conduct of upcoming examinations. This includes the All India Ayush Postgraduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) and the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE), both scheduled for July 6.
The Centre’s request includes deploying one civil and one police observer for each exam center during future examinations. Additionally, states have been asked to appoint a state-level nodal officer to coordinate with the exam-conducting agency.
The AIAPGET, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the Ayush Ministry, is a test for admissions to MD/MS programmes in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. The FMGE, conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) under the Health Ministry, is for overseas medical graduates seeking to practice medicine in India.
Concerns over the FMGE arose on July 4 when the Kerala Cyber Police registered a case after an announcement on social media claimed that the FMGE question paper and answer key were for sale.
The row over NEET-UG and other exams has sparked a political showdown with opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, demanding a debate on the issue. The Opposition has blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for jeopardizing the careers of lakhs of youths. However, the Centre maintains that there was no large-scale leak of the NEET-UG paper and has not cancelled the examination.
