DARBHANGA, May 5 -- Amid growing concerns over possible misconduct in the NEET examination, the centre superintendent of a college under Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU) was abruptly removed at the last moment. In a swift administrative move on the day of the NEET (UG) examination 2025 (Monday), the district magistrate (DM) of Darbhanga removed the centre superintendent of Maharani Kalyani (MK) College, Laheriasarai, following apprehensions of suspected malpractices. As per official telephonic instructions received from the director general (DG) of the National Testing Agency (NTA), New Delhi, Mohd Rehmatullah, who is also the principal of the said college, was relieved of his duties as CS with immediate effect due to suspicions of possible involvement in irregularities. The action was taken as a preventive measure to uphold the integrity of the national-level medical entrance test, sources said. "In place of Mohd Rehmatullah, Saleem Akhtar, additional collector (Disaster Management), Darbhanga, has been appointed as the new CS at Maharani Kalyani College. To assist him in the smooth conduct of the examination, Rakesh Kumar Singh, principal of Higher Secondary School, Kabirchak (Sadar), has also been deputed," reads official order no. 2737/C, dated April 4, 2025, signed by the Darbhanga DM. The order referred to a phone call from the NTA DG to the Darbhanga DM, made through the mobile number of Ashish Gupta, a 2013-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre who is currently on central deputation as Joint Director of the NTA. Furthermore, Rehmatullah has been barred from holding the role of CS not only for NEET (UG) 2025 but also for any future competitive examinations. When contacted by HT, Rehmatullah was unreachable on his mobile phone. Saleem Akhtar, who replaced Rehmatullah as CS, was similarly unavailable on his official mobile number. Akhtar has been tasked with ensuring a foolproof verification process at the examination centre and preventing any instances of impersonation inside the examination halls. When contacted, Darbhanga DM Rajiv Raushan said that the decision had been taken promptly on the instructions of the NTA to ensure that the fairness of the examination is not questioned. If the concerned principal submits a representation and the investigation finds the allegation baseless, he will be cleared of all charges or vice versa. "MK College, a constituent unit of LNMU located in Laheriasarai, has been one of the key centres for various examinations in Darbhanga. With its principal now barred from future exam duties, the college's prospects may be significantly impacted," an LNMU official remarked. The sudden action and timing of the removal has led to speculation, with many questioning whether sufficient preventive measures were in place to guarantee a fair and transparent examination process. Authorities have yet to disclose the specific reasons behind the superintendent's removal. In Darbhanga, 14 government schools and colleges were designated as NEET 2025 centres....