Bureaucrats shuffling: M Kharge removed as chief of exam body amidst NEET NET controversy

Amid the opposition’s protest over NEET-UG and UGC-NET examination paper leaks, the National Testing Agency (NTA) chief Subodh Kumar was replaced by PK Kharola, the current chairman and managing director of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). Critics of the government have blamed the top leadership for the NEET exam scam. They argue that simply replacing bureaucrats at the NTA does not address the deep-rooted issues within the education system, which they claim has been negatively impacted by the ruling party. According to the critics, NTA, which was supposed to be an independent body, has been allegedly manipulated to serve the interests of the BJP/RSS.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare postponed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) Examination that was scheduled to be held on Sunday. The ministry stated that a new date would be announced soon. The decision came in the wake of various allegations regarding the integrity of certain competitive examinations. The ministry expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to the students and emphasized that the decision was made in the best interests of the students and to uphold the examination process’s credibility.

Additionally, the National Testing Agency (NTA) faces criticism over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exams, leading to protests and demands from various quarters to disband the NTA. Moreover, the Ministry of Education has set up a high-level committee led by Dr K. Radhakrishnan to make recommendations for improvements in the examination process, data security protocols, and the functioning of the NTA.