Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has firmly stated in its written submission to the Supreme Court that there has been no systemic failure in the administration of the NEET-UG examination. This response comes amidst allegations of unprecedented high marks among top candidates, raising concerns about potential fraud and systemic issues.
The NTA categorically denied the allegations, asserting, “The allegations of the Petitioners that there has been a systemic failure as candidates have obtained unprecedented higher marks only in the top range of mark interval are misconceived and thus denied.”
While acknowledging specific incidents under investigation, particularly in Bihar, the NTA described these as “criminal activities” currently being probed by law enforcement agencies. Initially investigated by the Bihar Police, the case was transferred to the Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) and subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a more thorough central investigation.
In its immediate response, the NTA has withheld the results of 17 candidates suspected of involvement in fraudulent activities, issuing show-cause notices pending the outcome of the investigation.
Petitioners have claimed that drastic inflation in NEET-UG 2024 scores resulted from widespread fraud, including paper leaks, OMR tampering, and misuse of compensatory marks. The NTA refuted these claims, attributing the increased scores to a 22-25 percent reduction in the syllabus and a 15 percent rise in the number of candidates.
The NTA argued that the increase in marks was consistent across most ranges and did not significantly affect the relative performance of candidates.
A Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will hear more than 40 pleas today. These include petitions filed by the NTA seeking the transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts to the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of litigations.
The petitions seek the cancellation of the exam, a re-test, and an investigation into alleged malpractices during NEET-UG 2024. The bench has already received a status report from the CBI on the progress of the probe into these irregularities.
