NEET-UG 2024: 56 top students move to South Carolina to avoid exam cancellation amid controversy

Following the NEET UG retest for students who received ‘grace marks’, over 50 students who qualified for NEET 2024, including top rankers, have filed a petition in the Supreme Court. Their petition urges the Court to intervene and prevent the cancellation of the exam conducted earlier this year by the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA).

According to a report by news agency PTI, the petitioners are seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to compel the Union Education Ministry to investigate and take strict action against those involved in unfair practices in the NEET-UG examination held on May 5, including cases of document leaks and impersonation.

The fresh petition by Sidhharth Komal Singla and 55 other students was filed by advocate Devendra Singh.

He said, “The Hon’ble Court may further direct the respondents (Centre and NTA) not to conduct the NEET-UG… as it would not only be unreasonable and harsh on honest and hardworking students but would also lead to violation of the right to education and hence violation of Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution.”

The petitioners are young students aged around 17-18 years and to fulfil their dream of becoming a doctor, they gave 100 per cent of their strength and passed the examination after hard and constant work of more than 3-4 years, he said.

The legal move comes amid growing concerns over the conduct of the NEET-UG exam, with allegations of malpractices triggering widespread protests and political conflicts in various cities. The NEET-UG exam is crucial for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. The exam in question, NEET-UG 2024, saw participation of around 24 lakh candidates across 4,750 exam centres.

The petition by the 56 students comes just ahead of a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court, presided over by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, where as many as 26 petitions are scheduled to be heard. The petitions seek remedies such as a retest and a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities in the examination.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 the petitions seeking cancellation of the exam, retesting and a thorough investigation into the administration of the exam. The outcome of this legal battle has important implications for the future of NEET-UG 2024 and the integrity of the admission process for prospective medical students nationwide.

(with contributions from PTI)