Why Was NEET-UG 2024 Counselling Deferred? Here’s What Reports Suggest

The counselling process for the medical entrance exam National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 which was expected to start on Saturday has been delayed. The counselling session was expected to start on July 6 even though the Medical Counselling Committee had not shared any detailed notification and schedule for it. Sources said the process of issuing letters of permission to some medical colleges is still underway and new seats will be added. If latest reports are anything to go by, the date of counselling will be announced once the exercise gets over to ensure seats of the new colleges can be taken up in the first round itself. The counselling is likely to begin later this month.The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses, and the Union education ministry have been at the centre of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leaks to impersonation in the test held on May 5. Amid the growing clamour for the cancellation of the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 over alleged malpractices, the Centre and the National Testing Agency told the apex court on Friday that scrapping it without any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality would be counterproductive as it could "seriously jeopardise" lakhs of honest candidates. While the NEET is under the scanner over several irregularities, including alleged paper leaks, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. Both matters are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).Two other exams -- CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG -- were cancelled as a preemptive step. Fresh dates for both have been announced.