Taking note of media reports regarding deferment of NEET-UG 2024 counselling process, the Centre on Saturday categorically said the reports are “incorrect” as the date of the counselling has not been notified yet.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, however, accused the Narendra Modi-led government of ruining the future of lakhs of youth.

“It has been noticed that news regarding deferment of NEET-UG counselling has been doing the rounds in some media groups. This is to clarify that the date of NEET-UG counselling has not been notified yet, hence the news of its deferment is incorrect,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

The NEET-UG counselling process which was scheduled to start on 6th July has been deferred till further notice, as per a news agency.

Notably, the Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that scrapping NEET-UG 2024 examination would seriously imperil honest candidates.

The Opposition has been alleging a scam in the NEET-UG 2024 exam and demanded its cancellation.

In an affidavit filed in response to several petitions before the Apex court, the government said, “..In the absence of any proof of any large scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared.”

Meanwhile, Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, in a post on X, slamming the ruling dispensation over NEET-UG row wrote, “Modi government has told the Supreme Court that there was no paper in NEET-UG. This white lie is being told to lakhs of youth. Their future is being ruined.”

“The Education Ministry has said that ‘irregularities/cheating have taken place only at a few places’. This is misleading,” he said.

Attacking the BJP-RSS, Kharge said, “BJP-RSS has promoted the education mafia by taking over the entire education system. Be it NCERT books or leakage in exams- Modi government is bent on destroying our education systems. We reiterate our demand that NEET-UG should be conducted again.”

“All paper leak scams should be thoroughly investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Strict action should be taken against the culprits,” he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh in a post on X wrote, “The whole NEET-UG issue is getting worse by the day. The non-biological PM and his biological Education Minister are adding further proof to their demonstrated incompetence and insensitivity. The future of lakhs of our youth is simply unsafe in their hands.”

It may be mentioned that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination 2024.