Coaching Centre founder sent to CBI custody
NEW DELHI, May 18: A parliamentary panel has decided to review the implementation of reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) as well as the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and has summoned NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi and other bureaucrats for deliberations.
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The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports will seek the views of top education ministry bureaucrats on the alleged paper leak and reforms of NTA, which holds centralised admission tests to various undergraduate courses, on May 21, a Rajya Sabha notice said.
The agenda includes a review of the implementation of the K Radhakrishnan Committee report on NTA reforms and an update on the investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case.
The committee, headed by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has summoned the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Vineet Joshi, and NTA Chairperson Pradeep Kumar Joshi for deliberations.
The NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam (Undergraduate) held on May 3 amid allegations of irregularities. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA across the country.
The panel will also deliberate on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education and strategies to enhance students’ employability. Representatives from Anthropic India, Pratham, IIT Kanpur, Infosys and IIT Madras are among those summoned for the discussions.
In a separate session, the committee will hold discussions with the vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the chairperson of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on issues related to institutions, including implementation of reservations, vacancies and the National Education Policy (NEP).
The panel will also discuss its 379th report on action taken by the Government on recommendations contained in the 365th report on Demands for Grants 2025-26 of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
It will also take up the 380th report on action taken on recommendations contained in the 368th report on review of the functioning of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and teacher training initiatives under the NEP 2020.
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Monday sent Renukai Career Centre founder Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar to nine days’ CBI custody in the NEET paper leak case.
Special CBI judge Ajay Gupta allowed nine days of custodial interrogation of the accused after the federal agency sought 10 days of custody.
The CBI said that Motegaonkar was arrested on Sunday evening in Latur and during searches, a leaked question paper of the examination held on May 3 was recovered from his personal mobile phone.
The agency alleged that he was an active member of the organised gang involved in the leakage and circulation of the NEET-UG paper, and “played a key role in circulating the question paper and answers through his coaching centre”.
According to the CBI, “The question paper was leaked through him to a large number of students.”
It said that he received the question paper and answers on April 23, nearly 10 days before the exam, and provided copies of the leaked question papers and answer sheets to several people as handwritten notes, which were destroyed after the examination.
The CBI said it was probing his links to the alleged kingpin, Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni.
The agency had earlier arrested a Chemistry lecturer, P V Kulkarni, and a Biology lecturer, Manisha Mandhare, both known to each other through a woman, Manisha Waghmare, who is also in CBI custody.
It alleged that the two lecturers had roped in Waghmare to bring in NEET aspirants for special sessions before the examination.
Motegaonkar’s counsel, however, said that there was no need for his client’s custody, as he had been teaching since 1999 and that all relevant material had been seized. (PTI)
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