The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA) following petitions demanding a fresh NEET-UG 2024 examination due to allegations of a paper leak. The court emphasised that the “sanctity” of the exam has been compromised and called for a response from the NTA.
A vacation bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah addressed the NTA, stating, “It is not that simple that because you have done it is sacrosanct. Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers.” This remark underscores the gravity with which the court views the integrity of the examination process.
Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, representing the petitioners, urged the court to stay the ongoing counselling process. However, the Supreme Court refused this request, asserting, “Let the counselling start, we are not stopping the counselling,” and set the hearing for July 8.
The petitions brought before the court sought the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 results and demanded a fresh examination, citing not only the alleged paper leak but also irregularities in awarding compensatory marks to students for time lost during the exam. The NEET-UG, administered by the NTA, is a crucial gateway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions across India.
Despite these allegations, the NTA has firmly denied any irregularities in the examination process. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has taken the claims seriously, mandating a detailed response from the agency.
This issue was highlighted earlier in the year when a similar petition was filed before the results were announced. The petition, led by Shivangi Mishra and nine others, sought to direct the NTA to conduct the exam again due to the alleged paper leak. The petitioners questioned the integrity of the May 5 exam, seeking its cancellation. Additional petitions questioning the NTA’s decision to award grace marks to several candidates have also emerged post-result declaration, although these were not listed in the current hearing.
On May 17, the Supreme Court had considered a related petition but declined to stay the declaration of NEET-UG results, noting the impracticality of halting results for an exam conducted nationwide. The case was then scheduled for July, and the current petitions will be heard alongside it.
In the interim, the court has instructed the NTA to file its response regarding the allegations and maintain transparency throughout the process. This development comes as a crucial test for the NTA to uphold the credibility of one of India’s most significant entrance examinations amidst growing concerns over examination integrity and fairness.
(with inputs from ANI)
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