New Delhi, May 12 (IANS) Chairman of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s (JIH) Markazi Taleemi Board (MTB), Professor Salim Engineer, on Tuesday condemned the irregularities in the now-cancelled NEET UG 2026 examination and called for drastic reforms to ensure a tamper-proof system.​

He held the government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) responsible for failing to uphold the integrity and fairness of the examination and jeopardising the future of lakhs of students aspiring to serve the nation in the medical field.​

In a statement issued to reporters, Professor Salim Engineer said, “We strongly condemn the irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2026 examination that have resulted in its cancellation. The NEET exam is one of the country’s most competitive entrance tests, taken by more than two million students annually.”​

He called upon the authorities to ensure complete transparency in the inquiry process and to take strict action against any individuals or networks found guilty of malpractice and suggested systemic reforms to strengthen examination security.​

The MTB chairman said that the government must urgently implement the recommendations of the High-Level Committee of Experts constituted by the Ministry of Education under the chairmanship of former ISRO Chairman Dr K. Radhakrishnan, which had flagged concerns about breaches in entrance examinations and emphasised the need for a system that is ‘secure, tamper-proof, and transparent’.​

He said, “The emergence of a ‘guess paper’ containing a significant number of questions matching the actual examination indicates a grave compromise in the impartiality of the process conducted by the NTA.”​

The reported sale and widespread circulation of such highly accurate ‘guess papers’ through informal networks and digital platforms point towards organised malpractice, he said.​

“Such paper leaks undermine public confidence in the examination system and create a serious trust deficit among students and parents regarding merit and equal opportunity,” said Professor Salim Engineer.​

“We hold the government and the NTA directly responsible for this failure, which has jeopardised the future of lakhs of NEET aspirants,” he said in the statement.​

Professor Salim Engineer said, “The decision of the National Testing Agency to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination and order a re-conduct, along with the government’s move to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation, is a clear acknowledgment of the seriousness of the lapses involved.”​

He said that while a probe decision was necessary to preserve the credibility of the examination system, it has caused immense distress and uncertainty to lakhs of students and their families.​

“Those directly responsible for this breach must be identified and dealt with in the strictest possible manner to serve as a strong deterrent. At the same time, those at the helm of the NTA and the Ministry of Education must resign by accepting accountability for these failures and take moral responsibility,” said Professor Salim Engineer.​

The MTB Chairman said, “There is an urgent need for a thorough, independent, and time-bound probe into the matter to establish the truth and fix accountability at all levels.”​

–IANS​

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