New delhi : The government has opted to not cancel the medical entrance examination NEET, despite a raging controversy and an ongoing investigation of the paper being leaked a day before the exam. Explaining the government’s stand, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the leak affected only a limited number of students, contrasting sharply with previous incidents in 2004 and 2015 where broader leaks led to exam cancellations. He said that cancelling the exam would affect lakhs of students who cleared the examination rightfully.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said that the NEET paper leak affected only a limited number of students, in contrast with previous incidents in 2004 and 2015 where broader leaks led to exam cancellations.

Pradhan argued that cancelling the exam would affect lakhs of students who cleared the examination rightfully. NDTV quoted the minister as saying that the case is being heard by the Supreme Court, and any decision taken by the court will be the final one.

The Centre on Friday notified a stringent law that aims to curb malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. This comes at a time when aspirants, students’ unions and opposition parties are up in arms against the alleged NEET paper leak and malpractices relating to it and UGC-NET exams. The law will come into operation with effect from June 21.