NEET-PG exam in July; question paper to be set two hours prior

The NEET-PG exam, vital to join postgraduate medical courses, will be held this month. And the question paper will be prepared only two hours before the start of the nationwide test.

The decision was taken after the home ministry met officials from the government's anti-cybercrime body, NDTV reported.

Postponed earlier

Scheduled for June 23, the NEET-PG exam was postponed hours before it was to begin over alleged irregularities. The government then said it would undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of the processes of NEET-PG, which is conducted by the National Board of Examinations for medical students.

The scrapping of the exam -- for which lakhs of aspiring medical professionals had enrolled -- triggered protests, particularly from those who had travelled long distances to take the test.

Student allegations

The cancellation followed outrage over the NEET-UG and the UGC-NET test, which confirms professorial appointments to colleges and universities and is used to award research fellowships.

Allegations by students that questions were being sold on the darknet had put the spotlight on the National Testing Agency, leading to the sacking of its chief, SK Singh.

NEET row

Meanwhile, inquiries into the NEET-UG case have led to multiple arrests and raids on coaching centres, school premises and other locations across India.

Earlier, controversy over the May 5 NEET exam written by 24 lakh students erupted due to the unusually high number of perfect scores. Questions were also raised over 'grace marks' to 1,563 students.