Nearly ten months after the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Undergraduate) paper leak controversy unfolded in Gujarat’s Godhra, a student whose result had been withheld has finally received her score following orders from the Gujarat High Court.
According to Times of India, the student, Kulsum Kothi, had taken the NEET-UG exam on May 5, 2024, at Jay Jalaram School in Godhra. On the same day, the district administration conducted a raid at the centre, exposing a racket of alleged malpractice and paper leaks.
Following this, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe after suspicions of a larger, nationwide scam emerged.
Citing an ongoing investigation, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, withheld Kulsum’s result. The agency referred to summons issued by the CBI to both Kulsum and her father, Firdos Kothi, under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), as justification for not declaring her score.
However, after months of investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet in September 2024 against five individuals, including the trustee of Jay Jalaram School. Notably, Kulsum’s name was not included in the chargesheet.
Despite repeated requests from the student and her family, the NTA did not release her result until the Gujarat High Court intervened, reports Times of India.
This prolonged delay has raised questions about the procedural handling of such cases by the NTA. While the agency may have acted out of caution, withholding the result despite the absence of formal charges caused significant distress for the student.
