Supreme Court Orders Comprehensive Review on NEET UG 2024 Malpractices; Next Hearing on July 11

The Chief Justice instructed that affidavits from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Union government, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be placed on record by 5 pm on Wednesday, July 10.

The Supreme Court of India, while hearing petitions regarding alleged malpractices in the NEET UG 2024 examination, has directed all petitioners' lawyers seeking a re-test to submit a consolidated set of submissions by Wednesday, July 10. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, presiding over the hearing, issued detailed instructions for the upcoming proceedings.

Supreme Court Order on NEET 2024:

The Chief Justice instructed that affidavits related to NEET 2024 from the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Union government, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be placed on record by 5 pm on Wednesday and submitted to the counsel for the petitioners. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on July 11.

“We will give you a day's time. We want all petitioners' lawyers, asking for a re-test, to give us one set of submissions on Wednesday. We want you all to sit down and give us one consolidated set of submissions,” said Chief Justice Chandrachud.

Observations and Concerns:

The SC Bench, led by Chief Justice Chandrachud, acknowledged the severity of the issue, noting that the sanctity of the exam had been compromised due to admitted paper leaks. The Chief Justice emphasized the need to scrutinize whether the breach was systemic, its impact on the integrity of the exam process, and the feasibility of segregating beneficiaries of fraud from untainted students.

“It is an admitted fact that there is a leak, and the nature of the leak is something that we are determining. If it is not extensive, then there is no cancellation. But before we order a re-test, we must be conscious of the extent of the leak as we are dealing with 23 lakh students. This concerns the cost to be incurred, traveling, dislodging of the academic schedule,” Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked.

Focus Areas for Review:

Chief Justice Chandrachud outlined specific areas for the NTA and CBI to clarify, including:

• The timing and manner of the question paper leaks.
• The time duration between the leak and the actual conduct of the exam.
• Steps taken by the NTA to identify centers and students involved in the leak.
• The CBI has been directed to provide a status report on their investigation, highlighting any new material that has come to light.

Concerns Raised by the Chief Justice:

The Chief Justice raised concerns about the logistics and dissemination of the leaked papers. He pointed out the possibility of data analysis to identify anomalies, such as students scoring exceptionally high in NEET but performing poorly in board exams.

“If we come to the conclusion that the time lag between the leak and the actual exam is limited, it would militate against a re-test. If students were asked to memorize on the morning of the exam, the leak might not have been so widespread. If we can't identify candidates who are guilty of wrongdoing, a re-test has to be ordered,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

NEET UG 2024 Next Steps:

The Supreme Court's directive follows a series of events starting from June 4, when the NTA declared the NEET UG 2024 results. Subsequent allegations of paper leaks led to widespread concern, protests, and demands for a re-exam. The CBI investigation has so far resulted in several arrests and is exploring the possibility of an organized nexus behind the leaks.

The Ministry of Education has supported the NTA's stance against canceling the exam without substantial proof of a large-scale breach. However, the Supreme Court's emphasis on a thorough investigation and data-driven analysis highlights the complexity and seriousness of the issue.

With around 24 lakh students registered for the NEET UG exam, and approximately 23.33 lakh appearing, the outcome of this hearing is critical for the future of medical admissions in India. The Supreme Court's decision on July 11 will likely set a precedent for handling such large-scale examination controversies in the future.

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