The NEET UG examination has been marred with controversy this year. From the paper leak leading to its cancellation in May, to claims by female students who were asked to remove pants in an extreme case of frisking at some exam centres, students who were preparing to take the exam have had to some tough times. As if this was not all, now the Bihar Police has uncovered an impersonation racket during the NEET re-examination conducted at multiple centres in Lakhisarai district. The police have arrested 30 people, including purported dummy candidates, alleged facilitators and those involved with biometric verification.
How did the ‘solver gang’ infiltrate exam centers?
According to investigators, the racket operated through the alleged involvement of biometric verification personnel at NEET centres. The syndicate is accused of using MBBS and nursing students as “solvers” to impersonate registered candidates during the exam.
According to investigators, the stand-in candidates carried fabricated documents, such as forged Aadhaar cards, to pass manual identity checks without raising suspicion. According to officials, the alleged involvement of certain staff members allowed stand-in candidates to appear for the exam without raising suspicion, effectively evading standard biometric verification procedures. Investigators claim that some gang members gained access to examination centres by masquerading as employees responsible for biometric verification.
Why did medical students risk their own hard-earned careers to sit as proxies?
Medical students risked their careers to act as proxies in the NEET exam primarily for financial gains, as stated by many. According to the police, the “solver gangs” offer these medical students, who already possess a proven mastery of the exam syllabus, massive payouts of up to Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per candidate to sit as a dummy.
Some students have cited crippling family financial crises or overwhelming educational debts as the catalyst for taking the risk. The fraud is often facilitated through direct coordination between racketeers, education consultancies and dishonest verification officials. Some gangs have gone as far as planting medical students as biometric staff inside centres, assuring candidates that there was virtually no risk of getting caught.
What action will the NTA take next?
After uncovering the dummy candidate racket in Lakhisarai, the National Testing Agency has intensified its response through a collaborative approach involving various government departments. The following measures are now being put in place:
- The Central Bureau of Investigation agency is handling the broader investigation into systemic paper leaks and organised cheating networks.
- Working with state law enforcement, the NTA and local police are auditing financial transactions and tracking down the masterminds.
- The NTA is re-verifying candidate data, facial authentication, and CCTV footage from the exam centers.
- The NTA is leveraging the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to track down perpetrators and dispel rumors in the state.
While the National Testing Agency’s crackdown aims to ensure a level playing field for honest candidates, it has also resulted in short-term inconveniences, including increased scrutiny, possible delays, and the need to stay alert against fraudsters operating on Telegram and social media.
Employing multi-layer biometric verifications and escalating impersonation cases to law enforcement, the NTA ensures that seats are won by merit rather than bought by proxy candidates. However, this leads to necessary re-examinations that disrupt the academic calendar, leaving genuine aspirants in prolonged mental distress.
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