The Supreme Court on Thursday addressed multiple petitions concerning alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 medical exams. A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud emphasized that any decision to reconduct the NEET-UG exams must be based on substantial evidence showing that the previous exams’ integrity was compromised on a large scale.
Transfer of Cases
The bench heard over 40 pleas, including those from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which organizes NEET-UG. The NTA sought the transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts to the Supreme Court to prevent multiple litigations on the same issue.
Exam Statistics
More than 23.33 lakh students took the NEET-UG test on May 5 at 4,750 centers across 571 cities, including 14 overseas locations.
Opposition to Re-Test
The central government and the NTA opposed the idea of a re-test, arguing that it would be “counterproductive” and would “seriously jeopardize” the efforts of lakhs of honest candidates.
CBI Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the question paper leak, has arrested individuals from Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. These individuals are accused of stealing and circulating NEET-UG papers.
Supreme Court’s Key Points on NEET-UG
· Result Declaration Order
The Supreme Court instructed the NTA to publish the NEET-UG results in their entirety by noon on Saturday, July 20. The court mandated that the results be declared on a center-wise and city-wise basis, with student identities masked using dummy roll numbers.
“We want the student’s identity to be masked. You can have dummy roll numbers so that no student’s identity is disclosed. But let us see, center-wise, what was the mark pattern,” the SC bench stated.
· On Re-Examination
The apex court clarified that a re-examination could not be ordered merely because a fraction of the 23 lakh candidates would secure admission. A re-examination must be based on solid evidence that the entire exam process was compromised.
· Ongoing Investigation
Regarding the ongoing CBI probe, the bench noted, “The CBI probe is on. If what the CBI has told us is revealed, it will affect the investigation and people will become wise.”
· Solicitor General’s Remarks
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, recounted the sequence of events leading to the question paper leak. Chief Justice Chandrachud expressed skepticism about the hypothesis, saying, “The whole hypothesis that within 45 mins there was a breach and the entire paper was solved within an hour seems very far-fetched.”
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 22.
This case highlights the importance of maintaining the integrity of examination processes and ensuring justice for all candidates involved. The court’s decision to publish results with masked identities aims to balance transparency and privacy while addressing the alleged malpractices.
(With inputs from agencies)
