Latur, a mid-sized Marathwada town in Maharashtra, has been at the epicentre of a NEET paper leak scandal. The town, known for its coaching centres, has been ravaged by the scandal, with six of the 10 accused arrested so far being from Maharashtra.
The coaching ecosystem in Latur has been under scrutiny, with investigators believing the criminal network stretches from Pune, Nashik, Latur, and Nanded in Maharashtra to Jaipur, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.
A key figure in the CBI's crosshairs is retired chemistry professor Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni, who taught at Latur's Dayanand Science College and later ran his own coaching classes in Pune. He allegedly leaked the questions to students at his coaching class and to Motegaonkar, his old Latur associate.
The NEET paper leak has raised questions about the town's success ratio in recent NEET exams. According to the 2024 data published by the National Testing Agency (NTA), of 24,496 students who appeared for NEET 2024 from Latur, 1,245 scored above 600 marks.
The town's economy has been built around competitive examinations, with an education industry worth over ₹350 crore. Thousands of students migrate to the city every year, creating a massive parallel economy involving hostels, paying guest accommodations, mess facilities, transportation, bookstores, libraries, stationery shops, test-series providers, canteens, and rental housing.
Despite the controversy, thousands of students in Latur continue to prepare honestly for the re-NEET examination scheduled next month.
