Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to deliver its judgment today on the controversial NEET-UG paper leak case. The ruling will provide detailed reasons for the court’s decision not to cancel the 2024 NEET-UG medical entrance exam, despite significant allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. Here are the key updates on this major story:
- Bench Composition: A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will deliver the verdict.
- Petitions Demanding Re-Test: The court was hearing multiple petitions that demanded either the cancellation or a re-test of the NEET-UG exam, a crucial qualifying examination for undergraduate medical courses in India.
- Controversy Trigger: The controversy began when an unusually high number of students—67 in total—scored a perfect 720 in the NEET-UG exam, raising suspicions. A single coaching center in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, produced six of these perfect scores.
- Initial Explanations: The high scores were initially attributed to grace marks awarded due to a faulty question and other logistical issues during the exam.
- Leak Confirmation: Investigations revealed that the exam paper had been leaked to select candidates a day before the exam, significantly undermining the fairness of the process.
- Disputed Question: A question in the Physics paper had multiple correct answers, leading the National Testing Agency (NTA) to award full marks to all students for that question.
- IIT Delhi Involvement: The Supreme Court involved a panel of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to verify if the disputed question indeed had multiple correct answers.
- Expert Findings: The panel confirmed that there was only one correct answer, which matched the answer key initially provided by the NTA.
- Court’s Initial Decision: On July 23, the court ruled against a re-test, stating there was no evidence of a “systemic breach” or compromise of the examination’s “sanctity.” The decision considered the severe impact a re-test would have on over 2 million students who took the exam on May 5.
- Detailed Verdict Today: The detailed verdict will clarify the reasons behind the decision not to hold a re-test. The court has also indicated that its ruling will not hinder authorities from taking action against individuals who gained admission through malpractice.
