The Supreme Court is set to hear a series of petitions today regarding the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam. These petitions include requests for the exam to be conducted again amidst allegations of irregularities and malpractices during the May 5 test.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will preside over the review of 38 petitions concerning NEET-UG. This national-level exam determines admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other medical courses in government and private institutions across India.
Allegations of irregularities have triggered protests and political outcry across the country, with concerns over paper leaks and discrepancies in granting grace marks. Of particular concern is the revelation that 67 students initially scored a perfect 720, raising suspicions as six top scorers hailed from a single center in Haryana. The results were unexpectedly announced on June 4, ten days earlier than scheduled.
The government and the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for administering NEET-UG, oppose calls for scrapping the exam. They argue that there is insufficient evidence to justify nullifying the entire examination, which could unfairly penalize thousands of honest candidates who took the test in 2024.
In its affidavit to the court, the Union Education Minister emphasized, “Scrapping the exam in its entirety would seriously jeopardize the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024.” Similarly, the NTA defended the integrity of the exam, dismissing allegations of widespread malpractice as baseless and asserting that cancellation would harm public interest and the career prospects of qualified candidates.
The Supreme Court had previously expressed concerns over the “sanctity” of the exams being compromised and demanded explanations from the Centre and NTA. Today’s hearing will address petitions seeking the cancellation of the exam, requests for a re-test, and proposals for a court-monitored investigation into the issues raised.
NEET-UG 2024 was undertaken by over 23 lakh candidates across 4,750 centers in 571 cities nationwide. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated inquiries into the allegations, with cases registered in various states. Additionally, the government has formed a high-level expert committee aimed at proposing measures to ensure transparent, smooth, and fair conduct of examinations by the NTA, which has seen changes in leadership amidst the ongoing scrutiny.
