CBI informs the court that the NEET paper leak was localized and not distributed on social media

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to inform the Supreme Court that the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak was not widespread but limited to a specific area, according to sources who spoke to India Today.

In a sealed report submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday, the CBI indicated that the leak was restricted to one exam center in Bihar and impacted only a small number of students, as per the sources.

The CBI also clarified that the leaked paper was not distributed on social media, countering earlier claims of extensive online dissemination.

The agency's findings aim to clarify the scope of the paper leak and its effect on the examination.

The CBI's position aligns with the Centre's stance, which opposes a complete NEET-UG retest for the 2.3 million students who took the exam on May 5.

In its affidavit to the Supreme Court, the Centre stated there was no evidence of "mass malpractice" during the exam.

Referencing data analytics of the NEET-UG 2024 results conducted by IIT-Madras, the Centre noted there was no sign of "localized candidates benefiting from abnormal scores."

This affidavit followed the Supreme Court's inquiry about the feasibility of using data analytics to identify and separate suspect cases.

In a separate affidavit, the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exam, asserted that viral videos allegedly showing leaked question papers on Telegram were fake.

The NTA, which has faced criticism from students regarding its management of the NEET exam and results, reported that an analysis of the marks distribution at various levels indicated normal distribution without any external influences.