NEET paper leak: CBI, govt officials apprise Parliamentary panel on steps to prevent leakage in June 21 retest

📌 Summary:

• CBI Director Praveen Sood on May 29, 2026 apprised the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the progress of the probe into the NEET-UG paper leak case and steps being taken to arrest all involved

• Officials who appeared before the panel: (1) CBI Special Director Manoj Shashidhar (2) Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi (Union Education Ministry) (3) NTA Director General Abhishek Singh (4) NMC chairman Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth

• Context: NEET-UG 2026 paper leak triggered a national integrity crisis in medical entrance examinations; retest scheduled for June 21

• Significance: (1) Parliamentary oversight of executive action on examination integrity (2) Accountability of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and National Medical Commission (NMC) (3) CBI's investigative role in trans-State organised exam fraud

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 Governance — examination integrity; role of statutory bodies (NMC, NTA); parliamentary oversight via Standing Committees; education policy and youth welfare

📝 Prelims Facts:

• CBI Director: Praveen Sood
• NTA = National Testing Agency; autonomous body under Ministry of Education; conducts NEET-UG, JEE, CUET, etc.
• NMC = National Medical Commission; statutory body under NMC Act 2019; replaced Medical Council of India
• NEET-UG = National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) — single entrance for MBBS/BDS and allied medical courses
• Retest date: June 21
• Parliamentary Standing Committees = DRSCs created in 1993; review ministries' policies, budgets and bills

🔑 Key Term: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — central law enacted post-NEET 2024 controversy that prescribes 3–10 year imprisonment and fines up to ₹1 crore for organised cheating, paper-leaks and impersonation in central public examinations.