In a significant development regarding the NEET-UG 2024 examination, the Supreme Court has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to file a response to multiple pleas demanding fresh conduct of the exam following allegations of malpractices. The Apex court emphasized that the sanctity of the examination process has been affected, necessitating clear answers from the NTA.
Court Demands NTA Response
During the hearing on Tuesday, a vacation bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah directed the NTA to address the concerns raised in the petitions. These petitions highlight various instances of alleged paper leaks and discrepancies, which have reportedly compromised the integrity of the NEET-UG 2024 exam.
The bench was not willing to stop the ongoing counselling for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other medical courses despite recognizing the seriousness of the situation because it is only the NEET-UG exam which is carried out by the NTA that acts as the main entrance for those seeking to join medicine in India and so the current plight has caused apprehension among learners and their guardians.
Allegations and Petitioners’ Concerns
The NEET-UG 2024 took place on the 5th of May with outcomes being announced a month later on the 4th of June. Nonetheless, it is alleged that many individuals petitioned against it citing various issues ranging from cheating (with papers) or having leaked (papers). They went ahead raising questions like why we’re up to 1500 students awarded grace scores as compensation for their time which was lost back at those specific exam buildings where there were technical difficulties
Advocate J Sai Deepak, representing one of the petitioners, highlighted the arbitrary nature of the grace marks awarded and questioned the statistical improbability of several students scoring near-perfect marks. Further, the petitions pointed out the unusual occurrence of 67 students from a single centre achieving full marks, raising suspicions of irregularities.
NTA’s Response and Investigation
To refute these claims, NTA came up with a four-member committee together with the Ministry of Education Union to look at the grading of about 1,500 students. The director-general of NTA, Mr. Subodh Kumar Singh however said that the committee would soon meet to reconsider the concessionary marks offered to these candidates.
The petitioners say that the counselling should be postponed until a comprehensive investigation is done into the alleged leakage of exam papers. In addition, they wish the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the matter more comprehensively.
Supreme Court’s Stance
On June 8, the Supreme Court issued a notice regarding the petition seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 results on the grounds of a paper leak. However, the court has not stayed the results. During Tuesday’s hearing, the vacation bench reiterated its inability to list new petitions without proper procedure, advising petitioners to approach the Registry for further action.
The Supreme Court will next hear the pleas on July 8, with the NTA expected to provide detailed responses to the allegations. The outcome of this scrutiny is eagerly awaited by thousands of medical aspirants who hope for a fair resolution to the controversy surrounding NEET-UG 2024.
