Education Minister Pradhan Assures Action Following Supreme Court Verdict on NEET UG 2024

Earlier today, the Supreme Court of India postponed its decision regarding a CBI investigation into the alleged paper leaks and malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 exam until July.

In the wake of the recent Supreme Court verdict on the NEET UG 2024 examination, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured the public and NEET aspirants that the government will comply fully with the Supreme Court's directions. He emphasized that the central government is dedicated to protecting the interests of the candidates and ensuring that no student’s career is jeopardized.

"The facts related to this matter are in the knowledge of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The government will take whatever necessary steps as per the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The counseling process of NEET is about to start and now there is a need to move forward in this direction without getting confused,” Pradhan stated.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court of India postponed its decision regarding a CBI investigation into the alleged paper leaks and malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 exam until July. This deferral came during a hearing on various petitions filed by NEET-UG candidates and the National Testing Agency (NTA). Petitioners have alleged widespread paper leaks and manipulations at exam centers, particularly highlighting suspicious activities involving students from Odisha, Karnataka, and Jharkhand choosing a center in Godhra, Gujarat.

While the Supreme Court has not yet made a decision on the CBI probe, it has issued a notice concerning the NTA’s plea to consolidate all NEET-related petitions from various High Courts into the Supreme Court. This consolidation aims to streamline the judicial process and address all grievances efficiently.

On June 13, the Supreme Court refused to halt the ongoing NEET-UG 2024 counseling process, despite petitions challenging the exam results. The court emphasized the importance of proceeding with counseling and admissions without delay, querying, “Why should we delay counseling and admission?”

The NTA informed the court that the scorecards of 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates, who were initially awarded grace marks due to reduced exam time, have been canceled. These candidates are offered a chance to retake the exam on June 23, with results to be announced by June 30. Represented by Kanu Agarwal, the NTA assured that the re-test notification would be issued promptly to ensure the counseling schedule in July remains unaffected.

The Supreme Court acknowledged the Union's stance on the grace marks issue and scheduled a further hearing for July 8, 2024, to address allegations of unfair means and procedural lapses in the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

With the counseling process about to commence, Minister Pradhan’s reassurance aims to alleviate concerns among candidates and ensure a smooth progression in the NEET-UG 2024 admissions cycle.