The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and the National Testing Agency on a petition seeking cancellation of this year’s National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) for Undergraduate Medical courses, citing an alleged paper leak.
A vacation bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, deferred the matter to July 8, requesting a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA).
“Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers,” Justice Amanullah told the counsel representing the National Testing Agency. “How much time you want? Immediately on the re-opening? Otherwise, the counselling will start.” Justice Amanullah told the NTA’s counsel, as quoted by Live law.
The NTA’s counsel proposed that the petition be associated with a prior petition, which had already received notice from a bench led by the Chief Justice of India on May 17th, scheduled for July 8. The bench subsequently linked the present petition with the earlier one.
Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, representing the petitioners, sought a stay on counseling, but the bench declined, stating, “Let the counselling start, we are not stopping the counselling,” as Justice Nath remarked orally.
“Issue notice. In the meantime, the response will be filed by the National Testing Agency,” the bench observed in the order.
The highest court was hearing petitions urging the cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 examination due to alleged paper leaks and other irregularities this year.
Aside from the paper leak, NEET-UG candidates have also raised concerns about inconsistencies in awarding compensatory marks to students for time lost during the exam.
Several petitions were lodged in the apex court seeking orders to invalidate the NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct a fresh examination, citing allegations of paper leakage and misconduct during the test held on May 5th.
However, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has refuted any irregularities. The NEET-UG examination, overseen by the NTA, serves as the gateway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions nationwide.