Given the ongoing controversy surrounding paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET(UG) 2024 examination, a newspaper advertisement showcasing the success of NEET students, predominantly Muslim boys and girls, is being widely shared on social media. The post accompanying the clip alleges that these students benefited from the paper leak. Another similar post suggests that Muslims leaked the paper to benefit students from their community. In this article, we fact-check these claims.
Claim: Newspaper advertisement of NEET rank holders, featuring Muslim students who benefited from the NEET(UG) 2024 paper leak.
Fact: The suspects apprehended in the alleged NEET(UG) 2024 leak comprise individuals from both Hindu and Muslim communities. The students featured in the viral advertisement are from ‘Universal Institute’ in Kottakkal, Kerala, and are not connected to the paper leak incident. Additionally, news reports indicate that the NEET paper leak incident is not linked to Kerala. Since Kottakkal is a Muslim-majority area, it is likely that many of the rank holders are Muslim. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
NEET Controversy:
After the 05 May 2024 exam, controversy ensued over purported irregularities in NEET’s administration. Allegations of question paper leaks surfaced, particularly in states like Bihar. Numerous candidates filed writ petitions in the High Courts of Punjab & Haryana, Delhi, and Chhattisgarh, claiming inadequate time for completion. Some exam centres started late, including two in Chhattisgarh and one each in Meghalaya, Surat, Bahadurgarh (Haryana), and Chandigarh.
NTA acknowledged the students’ grievances and recommended compensation for the time lost. As a result, grace marks have been awarded to 1563 students from the mentioned select centres. Following the announcement of results, numerous students approached the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the ‘normalization formula’ used to award grace marks. Six students achieved a perfect score of 720/720 due to this formula, elevating them to the status of NEET(UG) All India toppers.
Subsequently, NTA formed a new committee to reassess the allocation of grace marks to these 1563 students. The committee recommended nullifying the normalized scores of these students and organizing a retest. It is also proposed that students who opt not to take the retest should receive their actual marks from the 05 May exam. Those who choose to participate in the retest will have their previous scores invalidated. The committee’s findings were also agreed to by the Supreme Court.
NTA approved these recommendations and administered a retest. Approximately 813 candidates participated in the retest held at centres in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Meghalaya. The results of the test were also released.
CBI arrests paper leak suspects:
Regarding the paper leak controversy, the CBI has made arrests in connection with the incident, totalling seven across the country to date. According to reports, the CBI has identified that the paper leak is linked to states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, and Jharkhand.
The suspects involved in the leak comprise individuals from both Hindu and Muslim communities. The CBI has identified the Sanjeev Mukhiya gang as a key player in the leak, confirming the involvement of both Hindus and Muslims. Additionally, according to reports, the CBI has found that candidates arranged by the suspects primarily come from Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Viral Ad:
The viral newspaper clipping does show NEET 2024 rank holders, but the students featured in the advertisement are not involved in any paper leak. A reverse image search of the viral screenshot led us to the same clipping on the website of a NEET coaching institute in Kerala. The advertisement, which highlights NEET 2024 rank holders from their institute, was sponsored by ‘Universal Institute, Kottakkal.’
Further investigation revealed the same advertisement published in the Mathrubhumi newspaper. Additionally, during our correspondence with ‘Universal Institute, Kottakkal,’ the management confirmed that all the students featured in the advertisement are from Kerala and received coaching at their institute. They emphasized that none of the students were connected to the paper leak. The management also confirmed that they have lodged a complaint with the Kerala police against those spreading misinformation.
In this context, it is important to note that, according to reports, the paper leak is suspected to be in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, and Jharkhand while Kerala has not been linked to the incident. Additionally, the NTA reconducted the exam for the affected students and revised the results for all students accordingly.
Regarding the claim that most of the students featured in the advertisement are Muslims, the 2011 Census data shows that Muslims make up 72.99% of the population of Kottakkal town in Kerala, while Hindus constitute 26.13%. Therefore, it is likely that the majority of the rank holders are from the Muslim community. The management confirmed this and added that students from other communities also secured ranks, which is also visible in their advertisement.
To sum it up, NEET success advertisement from a Kerala institute is falsely claimed to feature paper leak beneficiaries.
