Anurag Yadav, a 22-year-old aspiring medical student hailing from Bihar, admitted on June 20 to procuring leaked NEET-UG exam papers through his uncle, a junior engineer. Anurag Yadav, a student at the esteemed Allen Institute Kota, disclosed that he received the leaked question papers and answer sheets from his uncle, who orchestrated the handover in Bihar.
The materials were handed to Yadav on the night of May 4, just before the scheduled exam at DY Patil School, where the questions he studied closely mirrored those in the actual test.
However, an investigation into Anurag's performance by the National Testing Agency (NTA) revealed that he secured 185 out of 720, with a percentile score of 54.84.
Notably, disparities in his scores emerged, showing a great 85.8 percentile in Physics, a modest 51 percentile in Biology, and a dismal 5 percentile in Chemistry, potentially indicating inadequate time for digesting the chemistry answers.
Uncle's assurance
In the midst of the escalating NEET controversy, Anurag Yadav informed authorities that his uncle, Sikandar Yadavendu, also apprehended, assured him that the exam outcome was guaranteed and urged him to head back to Samastipur. The night preceding the examination, Anurag received the questions and answers, which turned out to be in alignment with the test content during the exam.
Detailing the events, Yadav confessed, "I returned from Kota and was taken to Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar by my uncle on the night of May 4, where I was given the NEET exam question paper and answer sheet, which I was made to study and memorise overnight."
The cost of the paper
Sikandar Yadavendu, under interrogation, said that he facilitated the connection of four students with Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar, who demanded Rs 30-32 lakh per student for the leaked question papers. Driven by greed, Yadavendu inflated the price to Rs 40 lakh per student, further compounding the illegal transaction.
While Anurag Yadav has been arrested, the other three students, all hailing from the OBC category, have been subjected to questioning. Among them, one student secured 300 out of 720, with a percentile score of 73.37. Yet again, discrepancies surfaced in their individual subject scores, revealing an 87.8 percentile in Biology but a paltry 15.5 and 15.3 percentiles in Physics and Chemistry, respectively.
Despite stern denials of any paper leak by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the confessions made by Anurag Yadav and implicated individuals have cast a shadow of doubt on the integrity of the examination system. These revelations underscore the urgent necessity for the implementation of stringent measures to fortify the examination process against such breaches in the future.