PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi (R)

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a direct swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over NEET UG paper leak row, which affected more than 20 lakh medical aspirants across the country.His sharp reaction came after the Centre assured the Supreme Court about the integrity of the upcoming NEET re-examination, with solicitor general Tushar Mehta stating that “PM Modi personally supervising the NEET exam”Responding to the government’s claim, Rahul Gandhi took to X and posted, “PM Modi also personally supervised the NEET paper leak.”Earlier, the Congress leader had met the family of a NEET aspirant in Rajasthan’s Sikar who died by suicide after the May 3 NEET examination was cancelled following the paper leak controversy.The NEET issue also came up before the Supreme Court on Friday, where the Centre outlined the steps it has taken to ensure the smooth conduct of the re-examination.Informing the bench about fresh safeguards, the Centre said, “Some new mechanisms have been put in place for NEET-UG scheduled for June 21.”Expressing concern over the impact of examination irregularities on students, the Supreme Court observed, “It is actually very traumatic if something like this happens. We should not disappoint our youngsters.”In response, the Centre assured the court of its commitment to addressing students’ concerns, saying, “We are dealing with youths, the government is seriously concerned about their concerns.”Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) informed the apex court that it has introduced extensive structural and security reforms following the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and the subsequent cancellation of the examination, ANI reported.The submissions were made in response to petitions filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front (UDF), which have sought a comprehensive overhaul of the examination body over alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026.In its affidavit, the NTA stated that a High-Powered Steering Committee (HPSC), during a meeting held on April 17, 2026, reviewed preparations for NEET-UG 2026 and recommended a series of safeguards covering the pre-examination, examination-day and post-examination phases.Among the measures proposed are mandatory CCTV inspections and preservation of footage for at least 90 days, mock drills at examination centres, contingency plans for adverse weather conditions, verification of power backup systems, emergency medical arrangements, and detailed inspections of centres in the week leading up to the examination.