Alleged NEET DATA Leakage: Rahul Gandhi questions credibility, competence of CBSE

Mr. Rahul Gandhi in his letter to the Chairman,CBSE questioned the credentials of the body and wondered whether it was competent to save the virtue of the examination process. He said “I am shocked by this wide-scale theft of personal data that has compromised the privacy of candidates across the country,”

Mumbai: The National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), is marred in controversy, the latest being the Congress President Rahul Gandhi's written communiqué to the

CBSE, Chairperson, Anita Karwal demanding an investigation into the alleged NEET data Leak issue.

In the letter, he drew attention to the alleged data leak of around 2 lakh NEET aspirants, which is now allegedly on sale at certain websites.

" This highlights the serious lack of safeguards to prevent data breach, and calls to question tha ability of the CBSE to ensure the sanctity of the examination process," He stated

“I am shocked by this wide-scale theft of personal data that has compromised the privacy of candidates across the country,” quotes Asian Age.

However, the fact remains that the source of the alleged data leak is yet to be revealed. According to Wire reportage, there are several possible sources of the leak: the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which is the body in charge of the examination, various universities and colleges or even the vast network of prep schools that teach students and candidates how to crack the NEET.

The data broker who operates the website cannot be ruled out for having collected the data illicitly through a leak that had been made public accidentally or due to faulty security.

Media reports a few days ago had highlighted that phone numbers, NEET score, ranking, email IDs and addresses of hundreds of thousands of applicants who took the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) in 2018 were available online, on a website for Rs 2 lakh.A statewide data of candidates was available on the website. The student details on display were of those from Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.

However, access to complete data was only possible after payment. The website conceals the last 3 digits of each applicant’s mobile number, which it states is being done for security reasons but is, in reality, a way to ensure payment from prospective advertisers, marketers or brokers.