Today in Politics: Paper leaks row remains on the boil on eve of first session of 18th Lok Sabha

The NEET-PG 2024 exam was postponed on Saturday, a day before it was scheduled to take place. This came amidst a massive controversy regarding the alleged NEET-UG exam paper leaks and days after the cancellation of the UGC-NET 2024 exam also due to similar irregularities.

The NEET-PG exam is taken by medical students after graduation to qualify for PG courses.

“This decision has been taken in the best interests of the students and to maintain the sanctity of examination process… fresh dates will be announced at the earliest,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Union health secretary Apurva Chandra told The Indian Express: “NEET PG is being postponed as a precautionary measure.”

The Centre on Saturday night also announced that the probe into alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam will be handed over to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation.

The development came amid a flurry of decisions over alleged irregularities in competitive exams, including the removal of National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh and setting up of a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan for exam reforms.

Hitting out at the BJP-led NDA government over the row, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, alleged that exam cancellations were happening in the country every day because of the “total incompetence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the “people around him”.

Over the last couple of days, the Opposition INDIA alliance has been sharpening its attack on the BJP dispensation over the paper leaks.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at PM Modi’s silence on the paper leaks, claiming he has “psychologically collapsed” after the Lok Sabha