An entreaty has been lodged in the Supreme Court urging the annulment of the NEET-UG 2024 examination and a supervision by the CBI or any other autonomous body into the purported irregularities in the test conducted on May 5.
The application, submitted by 20 examinees who participated in the medical entrance test, has also requested a directive from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others to carry out the examination anew.
During the hearing of distinct pleas presenting grievances regarding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2024, the apex court on Friday requested reactions from the Central Government and the NTA concerning a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into accusations of question paper disclosure and other anomalies in the examination.
The recent appeal asserted that due to “widespread irregularities and deceitful practices,” a re-examination would solely aid in selecting deserving candidates for admission to medical institutions.
“Considering the integrity of the examination is questionable due to confirmed instances of question paper leakage, for which FIRs have been registered and numerous individuals apprehended, according to media reports,” the plea, crafted by lawyer Dheeraj Singh, mentioned.
It noted that the outcome declared by the NTA revealed that 67 candidates achieved the highest attainable score of 720 out of 720. A meticulous examination would also uncover an extraordinarily substantial rise of over 400 percent in the number of candidates scoring 620-720 marks, the plea articulated.
“The aforementioned substantive irregularities necessitate a comprehensive investigation by the CBI or another independent body or panel under this court’s supervision to render justice to the numerous deserving students whose assertions have been thwarted by systemic failures to ensure the conduct of a fair examination,” it stated.
The plea sought a mandate for a court-appointed committee or another independent body to conduct “post-examination scrutiny, including academic background verification, forensic examination, and scrutinizing all such candidates who have scored 620 and above,” under the court’s oversight.
Additionally, it requested directives to the NTA and others to take effective measures to guarantee transparency and equity in the examination process and to address concerns regarding alleged fraudulent practices, question paper leaks, impersonation, unfair means, etc., in NEET-UG in the future.
The Central Government and the NTA had informed the apex court on Thursday that they had retracted the grace marks granted to 1,563 candidates who appeared for the examination for admission to MBBS and other related courses. They will be given the choice to either undergo a retest or relinquish the compensatory marks awarded to them for the loss of time, the Central Government had stated.
The examination was conducted on May 5 across 4,750 centers, with approximately 24 lakh candidates participating. The results were anticipated to be announced on June 14 but were declared on June 4, seemingly due to the early completion of the answer sheet evaluation. Allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the esteemed examination have surfaced.
These accusations have sparked protests in various cities and the filing of petitions in several high courts as well as the Supreme Court. Numerous students protested in Delhi on June 10, demanding an investigation into alleged irregularities.
A total of 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six hailing from a center in Haryana’s Faridabad appearing in the list, arousing suspicions about irregularities. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
The NEET-UG examination is administered by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions nationwide.