No NEET re-exam, SC says 'can't conclude sanctity breached'
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to order a re-examination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET) 2024. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra passed the order in response to a batch of petitions seeking the cancellation of the exam over alleged paper leak and malpractices.
Court cites lack of evidence for systemic breach
The court acknowledged that there was a paper leak in the centers in Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) and Patna (Bihar) but stated that there is currently no evidence on record to suggest that "the result of the exam was vitiated or there was a systemic breach in the conduct of the exam." The cancellation of NEET, CJI Chandrachud said, is "neither justified nor required on the basis of the materials available on record."
Repercussions on students
The court also took into account the potential impact on over 24 lakh students who appeared for the exam. It stated that directing a fresh NEET-UG for the current year would have serious consequences. "We are of the view that ordering re-NEET or cancellation of the entire NEET-UG 2024 Exam is not justified on the application of the settled tests propounded by decisions of this court on the basis of the material on record," the court stated.
Action against fraud benefactors
However, if the investigation reveals an increased number of beneficiaries, action will be taken against any such student at any level, regardless of whether the counseling procedure is completed, the court stated. It stated that no student or benefactor who is revealed to have been involved in this deception will be able to claim any vested right to continued admission.
Allegations of irregularities and paper leak addressed
The NEET-UG exam was held on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities across India, with 24 lakh students competing for 1,08,000 seats. The controversy broke last month when results were declared. As many as 67 students topped the exam, including six from a coaching center in Haryana's Bahadurgarh. The case was eventually handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It identified the Hazaribagh leak as "Ground Zero" in its investigation.
