2024 NEET controversy

The 2024 NEET-UG controversy was caused by multiple discrepancies, irregularities and alleged malpractices during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate). As one of India's largest exams in terms of applicant numbers, NEET-UG is the sole nationwide test for admission to undergraduate medical programs and is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

On 5 May 2024, NEET-UG faced allegations of question paper leaks. While social media posts claimed the exam questions were leaked, the NTA denied these allegations. In Patna, Bihar, police arrested 13 people, including four examinees, who had allegedly paid ₹30 lakh (US$35,000) to ₹50 lakh (US$59,000) to obtain the question paper beforehand. In Godhra, Gujarat, a raid at an exam center revealed that a teacher, who was also the deputy superintendent, instructed students not to answer questions they didn’t know, promising to fill in the answers. Five people were arrested, and it was discovered that candidates from multiple states had taken the exam at this center. The cases were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The examination results, suddenly announced on 4 June 2024, also sparked controversy due to an unusually high number of top rankers. Many students received scores that appeared mathematically impossible, triggering widespread complaints and legal challenges. This led to nationwide protests, with demands to cancel the exam and conduct a re-test.

On 23 July 2024, the Supreme Court of India acknowledged that at least 155 students had directly benefited from the paper leak. However, it ruled that there was no evidence of a systemic failure beyond isolated incidents. The Court also rejected claims of a large-scale NEET-UG 2024 paper leak and declined to order a re-examination, citing a lack of credible proof of widespread irregularities.