SC's detailed judgment on NEET-UG 2024 re-test pleas today
The Supreme Court is set to deliver a detailed judgment clarifying its reasons for dismissing pleas for a re-examination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 on Friday. Earlier, the court had declined to order a retest amid allegations of paper leaks and malpractices. To recall, the bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued an interim verdict last month on the matter.
Why does this story matter?
Over 23 lakh students who appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 are awaiting the court's decision. The exam, held on May 5, became a subject of controversy due to alleged large-scale malpractices. The National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Democratic Alliance government faced significant backlash, with protests erupting both on streets and in Parliament. The Supreme Court heard submissions from lawyers representing both the Centre and the NTA as well as the petitioners.
SC's interim verdict
In the interim order, Chief Justice Chandrachud said that the data provided by the NTA and others did not substantiate claims of a systemic leak or widespread fraud sufficient to invalidate the exam results. The court acknowledged confirmed leaks in Hazaribagh and Patna but emphasized on a nuanced approach, distinguishing between tainted and untainted students. The court believed that ordering a re-test could disrupt the admission schedule, affect medical education, and disadvantage marginalized groups benefiting from reservation policies.
Court rules on disputed physics question
The Supreme Court also ruled on a disputed physics question in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. The court accepted the expert report from Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, which confirmed a single correct answer. Following this, the NTA was instructed to re-tally the NEET UG result. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first charge sheet in the paper leak case, naming 13 people as accused and using advanced forensic techniques for evidence gathering.
Explained: Controversy over high score
The controversy over NEET-UG 2024 intensified after an unusually high number of students scored a perfect 720 in the exam, including six from a coaching center in Haryana's Bahadurgarh. 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. Investigations revealed that the exam paper had been leaked to select candidates a day before the test.
