June 18th 2024.
In a recent hearing, the Supreme Court of India addressed the issue of negligence in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The court emphasized the need for thorough action to be taken, even if there is a mere 0.001% of negligence by anyone involved in the examination process. The judges acknowledged the hard work and dedication that students put into preparing for these exams and urged for the litigation surrounding the exam to not be treated as an adversarial situation.
The court was hearing two separate petitions, both raising concerns about the NEET-UG 2024 examination. One of the petitions raised grievances about the grace marks given to students in the exam held on May 5. The bench stated that they were aware of the amount of effort students put into preparing for these exams and expressed their concern about the possibility of someone who has cheated in the system becoming a doctor, which could be detrimental to society.
The judges also addressed the representatives of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the organization responsible for conducting the exam, and urged them to take a firm stand and promptly address any mistakes that may occur. They emphasized the importance of inspiring confidence in the performance of the NTA.
The court announced that the petitions would be heard on July 8 along with other pending petitions related to the NEET-UG 2024 examination, including those requesting a retest. It also directed the NTA and the Centre to file their responses to the fresh petitions within two weeks. In response to a petitioner's concern about a specific question in the exam, the bench assured that it would be taken into consideration.
The court was willing to extend the hearing to the evening if necessary, showing their commitment to addressing the issue at hand. In a previous hearing, the court had requested responses from the Centre and the NTA regarding a plea for a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities in the exam.
The Centre and the NTA informed the court that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates who took the exam for MBBS and other courses. These candidates were given the option to either take a retest or forgo the compensatory marks. The NEET-UG 2024 examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers, with approximately 24 lakh candidates appearing for it. The results were supposed to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, earlier than expected.
There have been allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the exam, leading to protests and petitions in high courts as well as the Supreme Court. A group of students in Delhi even protested on June 10, demanding a probe into the alleged irregularities. The NTA's history has seen an unprecedented number of 67 students scoring a perfect 720 in the exam, with six from a center in Haryana's Faridabad. This has raised suspicions about the involvement of irregularities, with allegations that grace marks contributed to these students sharing the top rank.
The NEET-UG examination is a crucial step for students seeking admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions across the country. The NTA is responsible for conducting this exam, and the court has urged them to take necessary steps to maintain the integrity and fairness of the process.
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