NEET scam: Probe sought into private co hired for exam centres surveillance

By Our Representative

Addressing media in Jammu, senior RTI activist S Balvinder Singh, accompanied by other colleagues, has said that underqualified and underage staff deployed by the security agency hired by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for conducting NEET examination held on 5th May 2024 is also responsible for the paper leak scandal rocking the country today.

NTA is already under scrutiny for a paper leak during the NEET examination on 5th May 2024, and further investigations have now revealed additional disturbing findings, the media was told. "It's an NTA scam in the allotment of surveillance contract for NEET centres", the activists alleged.

Giving specific instances, Balvinder Singh said, "At the Kendriya Vidyalaya Miran Sahib, a Sikh girl student was barred from entering the NEET examination centre for wearing a Kada, an article of Sikh faith, despite her repeated clarifications that the Kada is explicitly permitted under NEET’s dress code for Sikh candidates, as stated on their official website."

According to him, investigation has revealed that "NTA gave contract to M/s Innovatiview India Pvt Ltd, located at 37, 2nd Floor, Shanti Vihar, Kakardooma, New Delhi, for tasks such as biometric capture, frisking via HHMD, and installing CCTV cameras for live surveillance at various examination centres, including those in Jammu."

"Shockingly", he added, "At Kendriya Vidyalaya Miran Sahib, four out of five staff members deputed were found to be underqualified, lacking a matriculation certificate, and one was underage, being only 16 years old."

A Sikh girl student was barred from entering the NEET examination centre for wearing a Kada, an article of Sikh faith

Continued Balvinder Singh's colleagues, these staff members were "deployed for the NEET examination, one of the country’s most critical competitive exams, without adequate training on NEET guidelines, particularly concerning the dress code for different communities. This raises grave concerns about the competence and integrity of the examination process."

Seeking CBI inquiry into the contract awarded to Innovatiview India Pvt Ltd for surveillance of examination centres for competitive examinations, including NEET, Balvinder Singh wondered how the company, which claims on its website to ensure a fair and equitable examination process through advanced security solutions, "could sublet such crucial work to a local security agency in Jammu, resulting in the deployment of underqualified, underage & untrained staff."

Balvinder Singh urged the Ministry of Education Government of India to expand the scope of the CBI inquiry from merely investigating the paper leak to also examining the allotment of contracts for biometric capture and frisking.

"Instead of enhancing transparency, the NTA is undermining the integrity of the exams by deploying inadequately trained and underage staff, thus jeopardizing the fairness of the process for millions of students", he insisted.

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