Amid nationwide uproar over the NEET, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to postpone the counselling date of NEET UG 2024 that will begin from July 6, saying it is not an “open and shut case”.
The top court served notices to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Union Government, and others following a petition requesting the cancellation of the May 5 exam due to alleged irregularities.
Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti, presiding over a vacation bench, scheduled a hearing for July 8, alongside other pending petitions alleging misconduct in the exam’s administration.
The counsel representing the petitioners requested a two-day pause in the counselling process to align with the court’s upcoming session on July 8.
“I am not seeking any stay of counselling. I am only praying that the counselling which is scheduled to be held on July 6 may be paused for two days only. The reason being that the main matter is listed on July 8,” the lawyer argued, as quoted by PTI.
The bench observed, “We have been hearing the same statement. Don’t think otherwise for interrupting you. Counselling does not mean open and shut. It is a process. That process commences on July 6.”
On June 18, during its review of various petitions concerning the NEET (Undergraduate)-2024 examination, the top court said that even the slightest negligence, as minimal as “0.001 per cent,” in the examination’s administration should be thoroughly addressed.
Held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, the exam was taken by approximately 24 lakh candidates. The results, originally expected on June 14, were instead announced on June 4, reportedly due to earlier completion of answer sheet evaluations.
Allegations stemming from the exam have sparked protests in multiple cities and triggered political disputes.
Notably, 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720, an unprecedented occurrence in NTA history, including six from a centre in Faridabad, Haryana. This has raised concerns about potential irregularities, with claims that grace marks contributed to the top ranks being shared by 67 students.
The NEET-UG exam, administered by the NTA, is crucial for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses in both government and private institutions nationwide.