New Delhi/Patna/IBNS: Four men, who were arrested over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, have confessed to Bihar Police that the question paper for the examination was leaked a day before the examination, in what could further raise questions on how the examinations are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), media reports said.

The four men from Bihar are Anurag Yadav, Sikandar Yadavendu, Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand.

Anurag, a NEET aspirant, admitted as quoted by NDTV, "I was made to read and memorize it at night. When I went for the exam, I found the same questions which I had memorized correctly. After the exam, the police came and caught me, and I confessed my crime."

Yadavendu said that Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand told him that they could leak question papers of any examination and it would take Rs. 30-32 lakh to clear NEET.

"I agreed and told them I have four boys (who need help in passing the exam). On June 4 night, I took them with me and Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand gave them the question paper. Out of greed, I had also asked them for ₹ 40 lakh each instead of ₹ 30 lakh," Yadavendu said as quoted by NDTV.

The confessions come after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan claimed there was no evidence to substantiate the claims that the question paper was leaked and accused the Opposition of peddling lies.

"No concrete evidence of any kind of rigging, corruption or paper leak has been found so far in the NEET exam. All the facts related to this are before the Supreme Court and are under consideration.

"The kind of politics being done on this issue is only an attempt to spread confusion and it affects the mental peace of the students," Pradhan had said as quoted by NDTV.

About 24 lakh students appeared for NEET-UG, a test to enter into medical colleges, on May 5 but charges of irregularities have been levelled after the results were announced.

Apart from the question leak allegations, over 1,500 students were awarded grace marks.

The Centre on June 13 told the Supreme Court, which pulled up the National Testing Agency on every hearing date, that the grace marks given to 1,563 students will be cancelled and they will be informed about their actual marks.

The government told the court that the students will be given an option to appear for a retest on June 23.

Over the last week, massive protests sweeped the country against the alleged irregularities cornered the Modi government, which has just come into office for the third term.

Apart from NEET, the Centre faced flak over the UGC-NET examination- held for Assistant Professor recruitments in universities and colleges as well as to determine eligibility for junior research fellowships- which was on Wednesday cancelled by the Education Ministry a day after it was held.

The ministry said it was announcing the cancellation of the June 2024 examination "to ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process" and that it will be held afresh at a date announced later.

There have been reports of the paper of the examination being leaked, but this was not confirmed by the ministry. It said only that the matter had been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation for investigation.

The UGC-NET is conducted twice every year, in June and December.