NEET UG 2024: What did SC say on re-exam pleas?

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said the cancellation of NEET-UG examination should be the last resort and be considered only under extreme circumstances. The top court heard a batch of pleas about the NEET-UG examination, including its cancellation today. 

“Cancelling the examination for 24 lakh students is an option of last resort and should be considered only under extreme circumstances,” the CJI said. 

A bench presided over by CJI DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra posed a series of questions to the examination conducting authority National Testing Agency (NTA). 

The questions were: When were the question papers prepared? When did the NTA receive these question papers? How were the papers secured during their custody? When did the NTA dispatch the papers to the designated banks in the cities? And Which printing press was used and what were the transportation arrangements?

Subsequently, the CJI asked the authorities to do some data analysis on candidates who scored high marks in NEET but failed to perform exceptionally well in their board exams. The matter was posted for next hearing on July 11. 

The petitioners have highlighted that a candidate with 700 marks ranks significantly lower this year compared to previous years. This year, the NEET-UG 2024 examination was marred by allegations of irregularities including leaked question papers and inconsistencies in giving grace marks. The fact that a record number of 67 students scoring a perfect 720 has raised concerns pertaining to the transparency of conduct of exams, the results of which were announced on June 4, 2024. After a nationwide outrage, the authorities filed an FIR and arrested nearly 13 individuals in this case. 

In a preliminary affidavit filed before the top court, the Centre on Friday opposed the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam, saying that scrapping the entire exam would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper held on May 5 this year.

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