Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has postponed its hearing on the NEET-UG 2024 re-test petitions to July 18, after noting that some parties had not received the latest affidavits from the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA). This decision delays the resolution of petitions calling for a re-conduct of the exam due to alleged paper leaks and malpractices.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, highlighted that petitioner advocates reported not receiving the affidavits filed on Wednesday night. These affidavits need to be reviewed before proceeding further.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, cited his unavailability on July 15 and 16, prompting the court to reschedule the hearing for July 18. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also submitted a status report, to be considered at the next hearing.
In its recent affidavit, the Centre opposed a re-test, referencing an IIT-Madras report that refuted allegations of widespread malpractices. The report analyzed NEET-UG 2024 data and found no indications of mass malpractice or undue advantages to candidates at specific centres. The Centre emphasized that high scores were consistent across various cities and centres, attributing an overall increase in marks to a 25% reduction in syllabus.
NTA, which conducts NEET, filed a separate affidavit supporting the IIT-Madras findings. It stated that only 47 candidates are suspected of irregularities. The NTA also dismissed a purported paper leak video on Telegram as fake, highlighting manipulated timestamps and edited images.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Centre and NTA to provide detailed information about the leak, including the time and manner of dissemination, and steps to secure future exams’ integrity. The Centre mentioned a new high-level committee, led by former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, to recommend measures enhancing transparency in future exams.
Additionally, the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, enacted in June, aims to deter malpractices with stringent punishments. The NTA is considering shifting the exam mode from pen-and-paper to computer-based testing to prevent future malpractices.
The CBI’s ongoing investigation will guide further administrative actions against suspicious candidates, including potential debarment based on investigation progress.
