NEET registration and verification process to be more stringent: Report

NEW DELHI: With the cases of cheating and impersonation in the medical entrance tests emerging in states like Tamil Nadu, National Testing Agency (NTA) is taking steps to prevent such malpractices in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Admission into undergraduate medical programmes across the country will be through the NEET alone.

The NTA, which conducts the NEET, will now require applicants to mention their Class 10 and Class 12 examination roll numbers while registering for NEET 2020, reports The Times of India.

The application form for NEET 2020 will be released on December 2, 2019.

The changes

Apart from requiring candidates to submit roll numbers for school board exams, they will also have to upload an identity card.

The authorities are inclined to include Aadhaar verification as an added security measure but are awaiting approval of the Ministry of Information and Technology. According to an official quoted by the TOI, registered candidates will also be allowed to edit their applications online “which means the applicants will be able to provide Class 12 roll numbers as majority of the education boards will issue admit cards once the NEET UG 2020 registration gets over”

In addition to furnishing more details at the time of registration, candidates will also have their photographs clicked at the test centres. This will allow the NTA to match the photos taken with the ones on their uploaded identity cards.

Background

The impersonation scam in Tamil Nadu was finally confirmed in September because the photo of a candidate who took the exam and the student who finally took admission in a college, did not match.

Now, admissions of over 6,000 medical undergraduates is under scrutiny.

It was reported that parents of aspirants paid lakhs of rupees to impersonators to take the exam in place of their wards.

Upcoming events of NEET 2020

Candidates can fill the NEET 2020 application form from December 2 to 31, 2019. The NTA will release it in online mode for candidates seeking admission in the medical and dental colleges. Over 14.10 lakh candidates appeared for NEET 2019.