Mumbai, Jun 29 (IANS): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said that the Central government has taken serious note of the malpractices pertaining to NEET.

“The Centre and the state government have taken serious note of the malpractices, action has been initiated by various agencies and the culprits have been arrested. The Centre has already notified the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations and common entrance tests held across the country,” the Deputy Chief Minister said while addressing the state assembly after he intervened when the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress legislator Nana Patole and other legislators raised the NEET issue.

Wadettiwar in his submission said that the fate of students after the NEET paper leaks hangs in the balance. He made a strong case for strict measures to avoid malpractice.

Patole demanded that the state should bring in its legislation proposing strict action against those involved in paper leaks and related malpractices.

The Deputy Chief Minister, in his response, assured the Assembly to consider Patole’s suggestion.

He said that the state government is committed to ensure that the students, who study day and night honestly and appear for the exams, are not harmed.

“NEET should be conducted transparently and in a corruption-free manner,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He said that the state government had urged the Centre to hand over the responsibility of medical course entrance examination to the states. He added that the Centre has assured to decide after due consideration.