NEET-UG row | NTA doubles down on its 'no leak' stand, tells SC 'no question paper was missing'
PTC News Desk: In the NEET UG row, the National Testing Agency has doubled down on its "no leak" stance, telling the Supreme Court that no question paper was found to be missing and that no locks were broken in Patna.
This is noteworthy since reports of a paper leak in the all-India entrance exam for medical students initially surfaced in the Bihar capital. The CBI, which is investigating alleged test irregularities, has arrested eight persons in the Bihar case.
The NTA stated in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that it reviewed the reports of the City Coordinator, Centre Superintendent(s), and concerned observers.
"No question paper was found missing in any Trunk. Each question paper has a unique serial number and was assigned to a particular candidate. No locks were found broken. The reports from NTA Observers did not report anything adverse. The CCTV coverage in the Command Centre was constantly monitored. No untoward incident or any pointer to paper leakage was observed," it stated.
The NTA also stated that viral videos claiming to show images of a leaked NEET-UG question paper on the social media platform Telegram were fake. “Discussions within the Telegram channel indicate that members identified the video as fake. The timestamp was manipulated to create a false impression of an early leak. Comments and discussions on social media further corroborate that the images in the video were edited, and the date was intentionally modified to suggest a May 4 leak. The screenshots highlight the fabricated nature of the claims made in the video”, according to NTA affidavit.
The NTA's reaction comes after the Supreme Court stated that it is obvious that a leak took place. "If the sanctity of the exam is lost, then a re-test has to be ordered. If we are unable to identify those who are guilty, then a re-test has to be ordered," a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said Monday.
- PTC NEWS
