A fresh controversy has erupted in Kerala after a student allegedly appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduates (NEET UG) 2025 using a fake admit card. The incident occurred in Thiruvananthapuram district and is now under active police investigation.

According to PTI, the student was taken into custody on Sunday, May 4, following a complaint from the examination coordinator, who had reportedly noticed inconsistencies in the student's admit card — including mismatches in the name, address and exam centre details.

The detained student has claimed that the admit card was sent to him via WhatsApp by the operator of an Akshaya Centre — a government service delivery centre — from where he downloaded and printed it. An FIR has been filed based on his statement, and police are currently examining how the admit card was generated and whether others may have been involved.

This case has raised fresh concerns over possible impersonation in the NEET exam, particularly as it comes on the heels of similar incidents last year; 2024 saw multiple cases across the country involving students writing the exam on behalf of others.

It may be recalled that in Bihar's Purnea, four medical students were arrested for impersonation during NEET 2024. Likewise, AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Jodhpur suspended a third-year MBBS student after he allegedly appeared as a dummy candidate in Muzaffarpur. Other impersonation cases were reported in Rajasthan and Maharashtra, with biometric mismatches and forged hall tickets revealing the fraud.

With NEET UG remaining a high-stakes examination for medical aspirants across India, this latest case in Kerala has once again put the spotlight on vulnerabilities in the system and the urgent need for tighter verification protocols.