A parliamentary panel has called upon senior officials from the Union Education Ministry, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appear before it this Friday. The Committee on Government Assurances, operating under the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, issued a notice on May 27 summoning these officials to discuss commitments made regarding the conduct of examinations by the testing agency.
The meeting is scheduled for 11 am on Friday. Those summoned include Vineet Joshi, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education; Abhishek Singh, Director General of the NTA; and Praveen Sood, Director of the CBI. The matter stems from an assurance given in the Rajya Sabha in response to an unstarred question dated November 27, 2024, concerning the conduct of examinations by the NTA.
In its written reply to that November 2024 question, the Education Ministry stated that, as informed by the NTA, contracts for conducting examinations are awarded to agencies according to existing rules, orders, and guidelines issued by the Government of India. The ministry also informed the House that complaints against vendors are addressed based on terms and conditions in the work order or tender document, with actions ranging from payment deductions to debarment upon confirmation of service deficiencies.
Regarding the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, the ministry noted that the CBI was conducting a thorough investigation into all alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, and breach of trust. As of November 22, 2024, the CBI had filed five charge sheets against 45 accused individuals. The NEET-UG exam for medical course admissions took place on May 3 this year but was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 amid allegations of a paper leak. The CBI continues to investigate this matter, and a retest is scheduled for June 21.
The committee will also hear from Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry; Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth, Chairman of the National Medical Commission; and the CBI Director regarding an assurance given in reply to a Rajya Sabha unstarred question dated July 29, 2025, concerning a medical college scam. According to the notice, the Health Ministry in its July 2025 written reply informed the Rajya Sabha that the CBI had registered an FIR in New Delhi under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act. This FIR relates to alleged irregularities involving dummy faculty, fake inspections, and falsified patient records. The ministry stated that the matter remains under CBI investigation.
Source: Hindustan Times
