NEET-UG 2024 re-examination only if… CJI Chandrachud’s rider for scrapping medical entrance test
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The Supreme Court said on Thursday (July 18, 2024) that any order for scrapping the NEET-UG 2024 and conducting it afresh has to be on concrete footing that the sanctity of the entire exam was affected.
Hearing more than 40 petitions, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwla and Justice Manoj Misra said reconducting the exam has “social ramifications”.
The NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam has been mired in a controversy following allegations of question paper leak.
“We will open the case today. Lakhs of young students are waiting for this, let us hear and decide,” said the bench, asking the petitioners seeking cancellation, re-test and a court-monitored probe into the alleged irregularities in the May 5 exam to show that the paper leak was “systemic” and affected the entire examination, warranting cancellation.
“Re-examination has to be on concrete footing that the sanctity of the entire test was affected,” the CJI said.
Regarding the CBI investigation that was underway, the top court said, “The CBI investigation is on. If what the CBI has told us is revealed, it will affect the investigation and people will become wise.”
More than 23.33 lakh students had taken the test on May 5 at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 overseas. The test is conducted for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private medical institutions across the country.
On July 11, the top court had adjourned till July 18 the hearing on the pleas, including those seeking cancellation of NEET-UG 2024, re-test and a probe into alleged malpractices, as the responses of the Centre and the NTA were yet to be received by some parties.
Highlighting several ‘red flags’ in the examination, the top court had earlier made it clear that it would order a retest, if it’s found the irregularities were widespread. It had also directed the CBI to submit a status report on the probe into the alleged paper leak.
The Centre has asserted that there was no indication of mass malpractice or local set of candidates being benefited. The NTA has also said that Telegram videos allegedly showing photos of leaked question papers were fake and manipulated.
Citing a technical analysis of the NEET-2024 data carried out by experts from IIT-Madras, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that there was no indication of mass malpractice or local set of candidates being benefited.
In an affidavit filed in response to petitions seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG, the Union Ministry of Education asserted that there was “very less likelihood of mass malpractice”.
