Hasan Mushrif

The Maharashtra government has demanded the immediate cancellation of last month’s NEET exam results, citing injustice to students from the state. Several aspirants of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, previously alleged that mark inflation led to a record 67 candidates achieving the top rank, including six from the same exam center in Haryana. The results were declared on June 4. The National Testing Agency (NTA) denied any irregularities, attributing the high scores to changes in NCERT textbooks and grace marks for time lost at exam centers. Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif stated, “The NEET exams were probably conducted after taking money. The results are such that no student of Maharashtra will get admission for the MBBS course in government or private colleges in the state.” He mentioned that many parents have approached him regarding the issue and that the state might approach the court for resolution. NEET-UG is the qualifying entrance exam for various medical and dental courses, with over 80,000 MBBS seats available in more than 540 medical colleges across India. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for an investigation into the alleged irregularities, stating, “First the NEET exam paper was leaked and now the students allege that there has been a scam in its results as well.” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also criticized NEET, claiming it undermines social justice and federalism. He highlighted issues like question paper leaks, clustering of toppers at specific centers, and mathematically improbable grace marks as major concerns.