NEET-UG 'paper leak' hearing today: Will SC order a re-test?
The Supreme Court is set to hear a series of petitions regarding alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 on Thursday. This follows the Union government's submission of an affidavit opposing a re-test. The affidavit includes a report from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras refuting allegations of widespread malpractice or illicit benefits at select centers. Over 40 petitions are listed for hearing in this case.
Why does this story matter?
The May 5 examination by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for MBBS, BDS, and related undergraduate courses across India has faced allegations of question paper leaks and inflated marking. These allegations have ignited a political row and led to weeks of student protests. The controversy escalated when the results, declared on June 4, revealed that 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720, with some from the same examination center. Notably, the Centre has replaced the NTA head amid the row.
Government, NTA refute allegations of widespread malpractice
The Centre submitted an affidavit on Wednesday, saying there was no evidence of "mass malpractice" or a localized group of candidates benefiting from abnormal scores in the NEET-UG 2024. The affidavit cited data analytics conducted by IIT-Madras, indicating that the marks distribution follows the "bell-shaped curve" typical in large-scale exams. The NTA also submitted an affidavit, revealing that only 47 candidates are suspected of engaging in paper leaks and irregularities with OMR sheets.
Shift to online tests in future
In its affidavit, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said it is considering changing the mode of conducting the examination from OMR (pen and paper) to online tests, to prevent similar such incidents Separately, the CBI arrested two more people from Patna on Tuesday in relation to the alleged paper leak. This brings the total number of arrests to eight, with suspects hailing from Bihar and Jharkhand.
SC's stance on allegations of malpractices
Notably, the Supreme Court had previously said that there is a need for maintaining the integrity of the examination process and dealing with even "0.01% negligence" by the NTA in conducting NEET-UG 2024. In a June 18 hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stressed the importance of a fair and transparent process for all candidates. Last week, the court noted that ordering a re-test without knowing the number of cheaters would unfairly impact honest students.
