NEET UG 2024 Hearing Highlights: The Supreme Court is hearing batch of petitions related to the controversial NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam, on July 18, Thursday. A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear over 40 pleas, including those filed by the National Testing Agency seeking to transfer cases pending against it in various high courts to the apex court to avoid multiplicity of litigations. Earlier, the top court adjourned the hearing on the pleas related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 till July 18, as responses from the Centre and National Testing Agency (NTA) were still pending from some parties. The bench had previously received a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on its progress in investigating alleged irregularities in the exam’s conduct.
NEET UG 2024 highlights: Supreme Court to deliver verdict on controversy-ridden NEET-UG exam today. Follow real-time updates from the hearing here!
Hooda claimed that the IIT Madras data analytics report, which the NTA used to dismiss allegations of malpractice, is “faulty.”
He argued that the data analysis should have focused only on the 1.08 lakh students competing for 56,000 government seats and 52,000 private seats, rather than the entire 23.33 lakh students who took the exam.
Additionally, he pointed out that the Director of IIT Madras is a member of the NTA's governing body.
The CBI investigation is ongoing. If the information disclosed by the agency is made public, it could impact the investigation and raise public awareness, cautioned the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court insists that any decision for a re-examination must be firmly based on evidence that the integrity of the entire test was compromised.
The Supreme Court requests petitioners to demonstrate that the paper leak was widespread and affected the entire examination, justifying the need for cancellation.
The Solicitor General informed the Supreme Court bench that the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a second status report yesterday evening regarding the ongoing investigation into the alleged paper leak and other malpractices.
Senior advocate Narendar Hooda begins presenting arguments on behalf of the petitioners. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, speaking to Hooda, stressed the necessity of substantiating systemic irregularities impacting the entirety of the NEET exam as grounds for its potential cancellation. He urged Hooda to provide precise details to direct subsequent lines of inquiry, highlighting the gravity of the accusations and the requirement for substantial evidence.
EditDelete
The Supreme Court has commenced the NEET hearing. Stay tuned for updates on the unfolding proceedings, addressing crucial issues affecting numerous students across the country.
Following the conclusion of the oath-taking ceremony, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has announced that the Supreme Court will convene for judicial proceedings at 11:15 AM.
During a hearing on July 11, the Supreme Court clarified the conditions under which a re-examination can be ordered, stating it hinges on established legal principles.
"The court must assess whether the breach is systemic and has compromised the integrity of the entire exam process, and whether it is feasible to distinguish between those who benefited from the breach and those who did not," Chief Justice remarked. He added that if segregation isn't viable, a re-examination may be necessary. Conversely, if the breach is isolated to specific centers, ordering a re-exam, particularly affecting over 23 lakh students, may not be appropriate.
In a written statement, the National Testing Agency (NTA) countered claims that deserving candidates would lose out on opportunities due to the NEET-UG selection process.
"It is incorrect to say that deserving candidates would be deprived of their opportunities as the selection is based on rank and not due to marks. It is also submitted that in a competitive examination, relative merit is most important and significant," NTA stated in its written submission.
Ahead of today's NEET-UG hearing in the Supreme Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained three doctors from AIIMS Patna in connection with the paper leak and irregularities in the entrance examination, according to media reports.
The detained doctors belong to the 2021 batch and have been apprehended for interrogation.
The federal agency has secured the doctors' rooms and seized their laptops and mobile phones.
Three students from AIIMS Patna were questioned by the CBI in relation to the NEET-UG paper leak case, officials said on Thursday. Specific details about these students under interrogation were not immediately available.
Earlier this week, the agency had apprehended Pankaj Kumar, also known as Aditya, a civil engineer from the 2017 batch at the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur. He stands accused of pilfering the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh. Kumar, who hails from Bokaro, was arrested in Patna, according to officials familiar with the matter.
In a significant development, the Centre is contemplating a shift of NEET-UG to an online format starting next year, according to senior officials speaking to The Sunday Express. This consideration follows multiple incidents of suspected paper leaks, which have triggered widespread protests, led to numerous arrests, prompted a CBI investigation, and resulted in several court proceedings. The issue has also caused disruptions in Parliament sessions.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has issued a notice requesting medical colleges to promptly submit their seat details on its official portal for the upcoming NEET-UG 2024 counselling, as the counselling process is expected to commence shortly. Medical institutions participating in undergraduate counselling are encouraged to upload their seat lists on the portal by July 20th.
“Institutes participating in UG Counselling 2024 are hereby informed that intra-MCC portal for contribution of UG seats is open now. Hence, institutes are requested to start entering their seats on the portal at the earliest so that the process of seats contribution can be completed timely,” the notice issued on July 15 said.
May 5: The National Testing Agency conducted the NEET UG 2024 exam across India and abroad. A petition alleging exam irregularities, including a potential paper leak, was filed later this month.
June 4: NEET UG 2024 results were announced, with 67 students achieving a perfect score of 720. Controversy erupted over allegations of "grace marks" being awarded, prompting protests and demands for revaluation.
June 10: The controversy intensified with petitions filed in the Supreme Court and political calls for investigation. The Supreme Court issued notices to the NTA and Central Government, leading to an order for retesting 1,563 candidates.
June 13: The Supreme Court mandated a re-examination for 1,563 students.
June 14: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan denied corruption allegations and pledged government cooperation in the investigation.
June 15: Another petition sought revaluation of NEET answer sheets.
June 17: The Education Minister acknowledged exam irregularities, and the Supreme Court directed Bihar and Gujarat police to investigate the alleged paper leak. A nationwide retest was not ordered.
June 23: Retesting for 1,563 candidates took place across seven centers, with 813 candidates appearing.
July 8: The Supreme Court discussed the possibility of a mass retest as a last resort for nearly 23 lakh students.
July 11: Scheduled hearings in the Supreme Court were postponed to July 18, 2024.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has rebutted allegations of systemic failure following the release of examination results, asserting that claims of candidates obtaining disproportionately high marks are unfounded. In a written submission filed yesterday, the NTA dismissed accusations levelled by petitioners, describing them as misconceived.
"The allegations of the petitioners that there has been a systemic failure as candidates have obtained unprecedented higher marks only in the top range of mark interval are misconceived and thus denied," NTA stated.
A special court in Patna has sent the prime accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case, accused of stealing the exam paper from a National Testing Agency (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, to the CBI's custody for 14 days. Officials stated that during Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya's custody until July 30, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plans to interrogate him regarding his alleged involvement, connections with other gang members, payments received, and local accomplices associated with the theft.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its probe into alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG exam, with two arrests made on Tuesday. The total number of people apprehended in connection with cases involving leakage, impersonation, and other irregularities has now reached 14. The agency, which has registered six FIRs in relation to the matter, continues its investigation into the alleged misconduct surrounding the national entrance examination.
The CBI on Tuesday arrested two people, including the key suspect, in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case.
“We have arrested two men identified as Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, who allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh and his associate, Raju Singh who allegedly helped Kumar in stealing the paper,said the source, according to The Indian Express.
An expert from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) has critically assessed the report from IIT-Madras, which was submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024 paper leak issue. The IIT-Madras report, which claimed that there were "no abnormalities" in the distribution of marks and ranks among the 23 lakh students who took the exam, has come under scrutiny.
The IIT-Madras analysis examined the number of students who appeared for the exam versus their scores on a national scale for the years 2023 and 2024, concluding that the data formed a bell curve. The report asserted that the distribution of marks was "quite normal" when comparing the two years of data.
Last Wednesday, the Central Government submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, asserting that the NEET UG examination was not marred by "mass malpractice." According to the affidavit:
1. No Mass Malpractice: The government maintained that there was no evidence of extensive irregularities.
2. Analysis by IIT Madras: An analysis conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras indicated no proof of widespread malpractice or any specific group of candidates benefiting unjustly.
3. Score Distribution: The affidavit highlighted that the distribution of marks followed a bell-shaped curve, which is typical for large-scale examinations, suggesting a fair conduct of the exam.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra will take up the NEET-UG 2024 matters, listed as items 5 to 9, after 10:30 AM.
On July 11, the Supreme Court postponed the hearing on the petitions regarding NEET-UG 2024 till July 18. These petitions include calls for the cancellation of the exam, a re-test, and an investigation into alleged malpractices. The postponement was due to some parties not yet receiving the responses from the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA). The bench noted that it had received a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning the progress made in investigating the alleged irregularities in the exam's conduct.
According to the cause list uploaded on the Supreme Court's website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear over 40 pleas today. These include petitions filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) seeking the transfer of cases pending in various high courts to the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of litigations.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions related to the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024, which was held on May 5.