NEET-UG 2024: 'Re-test only if sanctity of May 5 exam compromised,' says Supreme Court

The court also addressed petitions from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the central body responsible for conducting competitive exams, which sought to transfer cases filed by various state police forces to the respective High Courts to avoid potential duplication and confusion.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Jul 18, 2024, 2:24 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 18, 2024, 2:24 PM IST

The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 18) said that the 2024 NEET-UG, the entrance exam for undergraduate medical courses, can only be re-conducted if it is proven that the "sanctity" of the test held on May 5 was "lost on a large scale" due to leaked questions. This remark was reiterated as the court heard over 40 petitions requesting a re-test.

Last week, the court expressed concerns over the integrity of the exam and demanded answers from the authorities. The court also addressed petitions from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the central body responsible for conducting competitive exams, which sought to transfer cases filed by various state police forces to the respective High Courts to avoid potential duplication and confusion.

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Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stressed the urgency of the situation, noting that lakhs of students are awaiting the court's decision. "We will give priority to the NEET matter because of social ramifications," he said.

The Chief Justice responded sharply to a petitioner's request to void the exam results for all students, citing the leaked paper's potential to compromise scores. "You have to show us that the leak was systematic and affected the entire examination to warrant cancellation," the court said. "Second, tell us what should be the direction of the investigation in this matter," the three-member bench added.

The court pointed out the difficulty in identifying and segregating the students who may have conspired to access questions beforehand.

The controversy surrounding the 2024 NEET-UG exam, attended by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical professionals, erupted last month following allegations of a question paper leak. Subsequent inquiries indicated that the leak was orchestrated by a national 'solver gang' network on social media.

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Red flags were raised due to the unusually high number of perfect scores, with a record 67 students, including six from one coaching center, scoring the maximum 720 marks. Additionally, questions were raised over the award of 'grace marks' to 1,563 students, a practice not typically part of exam protocol, according to the authorities.

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