NTA Affidavit to Supreme Court: NEET UG 2024 Exam Leak Probed by CBI, Cancellation Unjustified

The Supreme Court is set to hear NEET UG 2024 Reexam pleas on July 8 concerning the alleged irregularities and demands for a fresh exam. These allegations have sparked protests and political tensions nationwide.

In an affidavit to the Supreme Court, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has confirmed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged NEET paper leak incidents, which have led to several arrests. The CBI is also investigating whether there is an organized nexus behind the leaks.

The NTA clarified that immediate steps were taken once the leaks were discovered, but scrapping the exam was deemed unfair to honest students. The Ministry of Education supported this stance, arguing against the rationality of canceling the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET UG) held on May 5 without evidence of a large-scale confidentiality breach.

The Ministry's affidavit stressed that canceling the exam would jeopardize the rights of numerous students who took the exam without any misconduct. It underscored the need to balance competing interests in such examinations.

To safeguard exam integrity, the government referenced the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, enacted on February 12, 2024, and effective from June 21, 2024. This act, along with the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules notified on June 23, 2024, enforces strict penalties for exam-related misconduct.

The Supreme Court is set to hear pleas on July 8 concerning the alleged irregularities and demands for a fresh exam. These allegations have sparked protests and political tensions nationwide.

Read more:

• Education Minister Criticizes Congress as CJI Chandrachud-led Supreme Court Bench to Hear NEET-UG 2024 Case on July 8
• 56 Gujarat Students Petition Supreme Court Against Re-NEET Amid 2024 Paper Leak Controversy