NEET-UG 2025: From Janaeu Removal To Biometrics Fail, Top 5 Controversies This Year – News18

Last Updated:May 05, 2025, 16:54 is

The NEET-UG 2025 exam was held under an unprecedented 3-tiered security protocol this year, overseen by a centralised control room set up by the Union Ministry of Education.

In what was dubbed one of the most secure and challenging editions yet, the Neet-and 2025 saw over 20.8 lakh candidates appear at more than 5,400 centres across the country and 14 cities abroad, with incidents ranging from biometric failures and power cuts to cultural controversies and attempted fraud. Despite the National Testing Agency (NTA) assuring smooth conduct, scattered protests and operational lapses marked a troubling undercurrent during Sunday’s exam.

The NEET-UG examination, which determines admission into undergraduate medical and dental programs in the country, was held under an unprecedented 3-tiered security protocol this year, overseen by a centralised control room set up by the Union Ministry of Education. The move followed last year’s controversies involving alleged paper leaks and integrity concerns, prompting a multi-agency crackdown on organised cheating and digital misinformation networks.

Kalaburagi Controversy: Sacred Thread Sparks Outrage

One of the most charged flashpoints came from Kalaburagi in Karnatakawhere candidates from the Brahmin community alleged religious discrimination after being asked to remove their JEanan (sacred thread) before entering the examination hall. The incident sparked a sit-in protest outside the exam centre by parents and community members.

Sudhir Patil, whose son Shripad was among those affected, recounted that his son was asked to remove the sacred thread and was not allowed to keep it with him. “I had to take it outside while he returned to the hall. This happened to many others too,” he recalled.

Biometric Chaos in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri

Confusion erupted at the Government Senior Secondary Girls College in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area when biometric verification for several candidates failed to take place. Students were initially informed that the machines were malfunctioning and that verification would be conducted later. However, even after the exam concluded, no such procedure was carried out. “When we asked about our biometric verification, we were simply asked to leave,” one candidate said, voicing concerns that their candidature might now be in jeopardy. The NTA has yet to issue a clarification on the status of these candidates.

Power Cuts in Madhya Pradesh Centres

Candidates at several centres in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, were forced to take the crucial exam in candlelight and under emergency lamps due to widespread power outages caused by sudden rain. At Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, more than 600 students attempted the paper in partial darkness. “It was hard to read the questions properly. I know I missed a few because of the darkness,” student Kinjal Gupta recalled. Emergency bulbs, where arranged, worked only for 10 minutes due to insufficient charge, leading to protests outside the centre once the exam ended.

Cheating Scandals Surface in Rajasthan and Odisha

In Rajasthan, three individuals were detained by the Special Operations Group (SOG) for allegedly demanding Rs 40 lakh from a candidate’s family in exchange for the NEET question paper. According to police, the accused lured families to Gurugram on the pretext of offering leaked papers. The trap was busted just before the exam began.

Meanwhile, in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, police arrested four members of an inter-state gang that had allegedly taken money from aspirants by promising them admission into medical colleges, further highlighting the growing menace of exam-related fraud.

‘Toughest NEET Ever’: Kota’s Verdict

In Kota, Rajasthan, students emerged from exam centres with mixed emotions, though many agreed on one thing: NEET-UG 2025 was among the toughest editions in memory. Motion Education Coaching Institute CEO Nitin Vijay said, “NEET-UG in 2025 saw a definite change in philosophy. It is no longer a question of memorising lines from textbooks. The exam called for maturity, clarity of thought.”

ALLEN Career Institute Director Brajesh Maheshwari echoed the sentiment. Biology and physics questions leaned heavily on Class 11 syllabus, and time management became a major hurdle due to the complex nature of multi-step questions, he said.

Aspirant Ayushi from Uttar Pradesh raised concerns about certain questions being “outside the NCERT syllabus”, though subject experts claimed the questions were within conceptual boundaries of the board curriculum. The consensus among coaching centres and students alike is that the cutoff may drop this year owing to the paper’s difficulty.

Despite the emotional rollercoaster, the exam concluded peacefully across all 73 centres in Kota, where over 32,000 candidates sat for the paper. In an expression of solidarity and encouragement, local teachers and coaching staff showered students with petals and arranged free transport under the “KotaCares” initiative.

This year, the NTA left no stone unturned to ensure NEET-UG’s sanctity. Mock drills were conducted a day prior at every centre to test security readiness, including the functionality of mobile jammers, biometric systems, and frisking stations. Question papers were delivered under police escort, and suspicious coaching centres were monitored.

To tackle misinformation, especially fake leak claims, the agency acted against 160 Telegram channels and 30 Instagram handles allegedly involved in spreading false content. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has been tasked with tracing the admins behind these platforms.

The measures are part of a broader strategy to redeem public trust in national examinations after multiple scandals rocked exam systems in recent years. Last year, both the UGC-NET and NEET-PG were cancelled due to security breaches. In response, a central panel was formed to review and reform NTA operations.

NEET-UG 2025 may well go down as one of the most scrutinised and stress-laden editions in the exam’s history. While authorities tout tighter controls and reformist changes in the examination’s design, candidates across the board have highlighted deep operational inconsistencies.

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