Representative image of a student appearing for an exam.
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New Delhi: Distribution of wrong question papers at a NEET exam centre in Rajasthan on Sunday led to some candidates walking out with the papers, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said, claiming the integrity of the examination process was not compromised.
The exam was later reconducted for the 120 affected candidates at the centre, said Sadhna Parashar, Senior Director, NTA.
According to NTA sources, some candidates were distributed question papers in languages other than their choice of medium which prompted them to walk out of the centre.
"During NEET-UG examination, it came to attention that at one exam centre, Girls Higher Secondary Model School, Mantown, Sawai Madhopur, there was an incident of incorrect distribution of question papers by the centre superintendent. Despite efforts by invigilators to prevent it, some candidates left the exam centre with the question papers," Parashar said.
"In order to uphold the principles of fairness and equal opportunity for all candidates, the NTA has taken proactive measures. The examination of approximately 120 affected candidates at the centre is being conducted today, ensuring that their academic aspirations are not hindered by this incident," she added.
Several social media posts alleged the question paper was leaked. The NTA, however, denied any possibility of a leak.
This year, a record 23 lakh candidates registered for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG), of which over 10 lakhs were male students, over 13 lakhs were girls and 24 students registered under the third gender category.
Region-wise, Uttar Pradesh had registered the highest number of candidates at 3,39,125, followed by Maharashtra at 2,79,904 and Rajasthan at 1,96,139. Tamil Nadu saw 1,55,216 registrations and Karnataka 1,54,210.
In 2023, a total of 20,87,449 candidates had registered for NEET-UG and the exam was held on May 7. The NTA had recorded 97.7 per cent attendance in the exam.