On July 23, the Supreme Court resumed its hearing on several petitions challenging the NEET UG 2024 exam held on May 5. The petitions are calling for the exam’s cancellation, a re-test, and a court-monitored investigation into the alleged irregularities. The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is delving into the matter.
During the session, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed that the NEET UG paper leak occurred at a center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The CBI also reported that some of the gang’s equipment had been destroyed, though a few items were recovered on July 22 and are now being analyzed.
In response to concerns about the accuracy of answers, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted that the IIT Delhi report, led by Prof. Banerjee, confirmed that option 4 was correct for a disputed question. Earlier, on July 22, the court instructed IIT Delhi to form a three-member expert committee to review this question, as the National Testing Agency (NTA) had awarded marks for two different options.
Calls for JPC Probe and NTA Revamp
The Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Association (FEDCUTA) has called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 exam. They also urged for the immediate dissolution of the NTA, which conducts the exam.
In response, the NTA has denied accusations of a conflict of interest involving the IIT Madras Director who prepared the data report. Additionally, some petitioners have requested a re-test for approximately 3.5 lakh top scorers, citing their high scores ranging from 650 to 680 out of 720.
What Happened on July 18?
On July 18, the court questioned the NTA’s claim that the leaked paper was solved and memorized by students within just 45 minutes. A lawyer for one of the petitioners argued that changes to the exam syllabus were announced only months before the test and claimed that the transportation of question papers in Hazaribag was mishandled. Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized that petitioners need to prove that the paper leak was systemic and affected the entire exam to justify its cancellation.
Government’s Stand
The Union government has told the Supreme Court that there is no evidence of widespread cheating or unfair advantages among specific groups of candidates. The Ministry of Education has requested IIT Madras to conduct a thorough analysis of the NEET UG 2024 results.
NEET UG 2024 was taken by 23.33 lakh students at 4,750 centers across 571 cities, including 14 international locations. Conducted by the NTA, it serves as the entrance exam for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses in both government and private institutions across India.
