NEET UG leaks | Supreme Court seeks more details, lays down guidelines for cancelling exam

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 8) said it would need more details to decide on cancellation or retesting of NEET-UG 2024. The Supreme Court said the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, will have to make full disclosure regarding the nature of the leak, the locations where the leaks took place and the time between the leak and the conduct of the exam.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 11.

The court said that since the Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation, a status report should be filed before the court and the CBI should produce the material collected during the investigation. The Supreme Court also questioned the government and the NTA on the steps taken so far to identify the beneficiaries.

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The court also asked whether it was possible to use data analytics, which can be used by the government to identify cases. The Centre and the NTA may have to take a decision on the policy to be followed regarding the status of counselling services, as per the Supreme Court order.

The Supreme Court also ruled that the Centre may set up a multi-disciplinary committee to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent further violations. Complete details will have to be communicated to the court.

On the cancellation of the review, the court said that the law on whether or not to order a re-review is based on established parameters. “It will have to be seen whether the violation is at a systemic level and whether the beneficiaries of the fraud cannot be identified.” According to the Supreme Court, if the violation affects the entire process, a re-review may be necessary. However, if the violation is limited to specific areas or centers, a complete re-review may not be necessary.

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The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing the 38 pleas related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) medical entrance examination, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test.

Protests have been held across the country, organised by students and political parties, over alleged large-scale malpractices, ranging from leaks of exam papers to impersonation during the May 5 exam. The Centre and the NTA have filed separate affidavits opposing demands for cancellation of the exam, a retest and a court-supervised investigation into the entire range of issues involved.

The ministry and the NTA said there was no evidence of large-scale breach of confidentiality in the exam in which over 23 lakh candidates participated at 4,750 centres in 571 cities.

Also read: 12 arrested in Bihar for impersonating CTET candidates