NEET UG Supreme Court Hearing Live: The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed the NEET- UG hearing to July 18. The bench will hear the petitions filed by students alleging irregularities and paper leaks in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024. The Centre had on July 10 submitted an affidavit opposing a re-test, citing a report from IIT Madras that discredited claims of widespread malpractice or cheating at select testing centers.
“There is neither any indication of mass malpractice nor a localised set of candidates being benefited leading to abnormal scores,” the report provided by the experts’ team from IIT Madras, which has been attached to the Centre’s affidavit, stated. The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, has sought responses from the Union and National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the scope of the paper leak and the separation of wrongdoers from honest candidates. The court hinted that if the integrity of the entire exam has been compromised, making it impossible to distinguish between fraudulent and honest candidates, a re-test may be necessary as a last resort, which would significantly impact nearly 24 lakh students.
NEET UG 2024 Highlights: Supreme Court to deliver verdict on controversy-ridden NEET-UG exam today. Follow real-time updates from the hearing here!
The Supreme Court postponed the NEET hearing, initially scheduled for today, to July 18. The Chief Justice of India granted the adjournment to allow parties to respond to affidavits filed by the Centre and the Union.
The Chief Justice announced that the NEET matters would be addressed on Monday. However, the Solicitor General cited personal difficulties for Monday and Tuesday, requesting the hearing to be moved to Wednesday.
The matter was then posted to next Thursday.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to provide details on the measures taken to identify the centers and cities where the NEET-UG paper leak occurred. The court also asked the NTA to outline the procedures followed to identify those who benefited from the leak and to explain how the leak was disseminated.
National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said there should be a decision on the exam soon while answering a question related to the NEET examination. 'It is a grave injustice to the future of the youth. We hope a decision is taken soon, whether by way of an inquiry, the court, or the government,' he said, as PTI reported.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has claimed that the video on Telegram showing the alleged leaked paper is ‘fake.’ In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on July 10, the NTA, which conducts the NEET-UG, said that the screenshots regarding the paper leak in the video shared on Telegram were 'fabricated.'
NEET UG 2024 Supreme Court Hearing Live Updates: NEET-UG exam paper leak petitions to be taken up shortly
The bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud is currently hearing Item 32. The NEET UG cases listed as Item No. 43 are expected to be heard shortly.
Responding to the NEET exam issue, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said that IIT Madras did a survey about the nature of the paper leak, they are very clear that it has been contained. It did not reach many people. “Supreme Court also mentioned a few days ago that it does not seem to be a widespread leak... It is a very localised leak that has been controlled, the fear-mongering of opposition parties can be put to rest now," he told ANI.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing other matters on the day and the NEET SC hearing has not yet commenced. According to the list, the NEET matter is scheduled to be heard at number 43, which is likely to be taken up after lunch at 2 pm.
Actor-politician Vijay has joined the chorus of voices demanding the abolition of NEET, calling it an affront to the rights of state governments and disproportionately affecting students from impoverished, economically backward and oppressed classes. He pointed out that education was previously under the State list before being moved to the Concurrent list in 1975, and urged for its reversal, citing that this is where the issue began.
“Firstly, it’s against the rights of a state government. Before 1975, education was under the State list, and then the Union government moved it to the Concurrent list — I believe this is where the issue started,”he said.
Over 50 successful candidates who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024 have approached the Supreme Court, seeking an urgent intervention to prevent the Centre and the National Testing Agency from taking any steps to cancel the exam. The move comes amidst allegations of paper leaks and other irregularities that have marred the exam.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2024 has been embroiled in controversy once again, this time over conflicting reports regarding the postponement of counselling.
On Saturday morning, reports surfaced claiming that NEET UG 2024 counselling had been deferred indefinitely. This sparked confusion and concern among aspiring medical students already navigating the challenges of the exam process.
However, by the afternoon, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare moved to clarify that these reports were inaccurate. They confirmed that the counselling date for NEET UG 2024 had not yet been finalised or announced.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud clarified the legal principles governing the directive of a re-test in cases of exam breaches, stating that decisions hinge on established legal norms.
“On the basis of the data on record placed before it, a court has to see if the breach is systemic; whether it has affected the integrity of the entire exam process; whether it is possible to segregate the beneficiaries from the untainted students. In case segregation is not possible, it would be necessary to order re-examination. On the other hand, if the breach is confined to specific centres, it may not be appropriate to order a re-examination, especially when it involves over 23 lakh students,” the CJI explained during the last hearing.
In court, one of the counsels had requested that the NTA produce the original OMR sheet of the candidate by the time the matter reached the court. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud responded, "Wait for it to reach, make a new copy."
In the Supreme Court, the NTA NEET UG 2024 case is listed on number 43.
The CBI is poised to file a charge sheet against a youth who allegedly circulated a "doctored" screenshot of the UGC-NET exam paper on Telegram.
This action led the cancellation of the exam following a warning from the Union Home Ministry about a potential breach. Officials revealed that the CBI's investigation found no widespread conspiracy and will focus the charge sheet on offences related to attempt to cheat or cheating.
The probe concluded that a school student had manipulated the screenshot of the "leaked" question paper for the June 18 exam.
The CBI has informally communicated its findings to the government and intends to proceed with legal action against the youth.
The UGC-NET exam, which attracted over 11 lakh candidates, is crucial for eligibility for junior research fellowships, assistant professorships, and admission to PhD programs in Indian universities and colleges.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts the NEET exam has also filed an affidavit. The NTA said that it has analysed marks distribution in NEET-UG 2024 exam at all levels including state, national, centre and city.
In another development, government sources have disclosed that the evidence prompting the Education Ministry to cancel the UGC-NET exam, alleging a paper leak, has been found to be doctored. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its probe, uncovered discrepancies in the purported evidence, which led to the abrupt cancellation of the exam, affecting over 9 lakh candidates across 317 cities on June 18, according to The Indian Express report.
The CBI has arrested two additional individuals from Patna in connection with the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, bringing the total number of arrests to 11. Among those apprehended are NEET-UG aspirant Sunny from Nalanda and Ranjit Kumar's father from Gaya.
Officials confirmed the arrests as part of ongoing investigations into the leak case, which has already led to eight arrests in Bihar. Additional arrests were made in Gujarat's Latur and Godhra, along with one individual detained in Dehradun for their alleged involvement in a broader conspiracy.
The CBI continues to expand its probe into the matter, aiming to ensure transparency and integrity in the NEET-UG examination process across India.
During today's Supreme Court hearing on NEET-UG 2024, Chief Justice of India expressed concerns over the allocation of grace marks, questioning the criteria used for 1563 beneficiaries. He highlighted discrepancies where students achieve exceptionally high NEET scores despite lower performance in their 12th-grade exams.
"The issue lies in students not dedicating equal effort to their 12th-grade studies as they do for NEET," remarked the CJI, emphasising the need to distinguish between genuine achievers and those benefitting from undue advantages.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government and NTA, presented data showing top-ranking students spread across 95 centres in 56 cities across India's states and union territories. The court continues to deliberate on measures to ensure fairness and integrity in the NEET examination process.
The Jay Jalaram School in Godhra, Gujarat, found itself at the heart of a nationwide scandal during Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing on the NEET-UG exam scam. Allegedly involved in paper leaks, the school assured students of "guaranteed success" in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. Principal Purshottam Mahavirprasad Sharma and teacher Tushar Rajnikant Bhatt were implicated by CBI for aiding students in filling OMR sheets post-exam. Investigations continue amidst growing public outcry and calls for stringent reforms in India's educational system.
- May 5: NTA conducts NEET-UG 2024 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.
- May 17: Supreme Court seeks responses from Centre and NTA on plea alleging irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.
- June 4: Results for NEET-UG 2024 declared; 67 candidates secure top rank.
- June 11: Supreme Court observes sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 compromised; seeks responses on plea for fresh examination due to alleged question paper leak.
- June 13: Centre informs SC about cancellation of grace marks for 1,563 candidates; offers choice for re-test or waiving compensatory marks.
- June 14: SC seeks Centre and NTA responses on plea for CBI probe into question paper leak and irregularities.
- June 18: SC emphasizes thorough scrutiny of any negligence in NEET-UG 2024 conduct.
- June 23: 813 out of 1,563 candidates who received grace marks appear for re-test.
- July 1: NTA revises NEET-UG 2024 results, reducing top rank holders from 67 to 61.
- July 5: Centre argues against scrapping NEET-UG 2024, citing potential harm to honest candidates' career prospects without substantial evidence of widespread breach.
- July 8 : NTA emphasizes in SC that cancelling NEET-UG 2024 would be counterproductive and detrimental to larger public interest, especially for successful candidates.
The Supreme Court has been informed that FIRs were registered in Patna, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. The court noted that whether the FIR related to the paper leak is confined to Patna requires detailed consideration.
The Education Ministry, in its affidavit filed with the top court, acknowledged “instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and malpractices” during the conduct of NEET UG but did not mention a paper leak. The affidavit further stated that “in the absence of any proof of a large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination.”
In Monday's hearing, the CJI DY Chandrachud-led bench scheduled the next session for July 11, stating that it would decide on the merits after the government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Testing Agency (NTA) submit their responses to the court's queries. The NTA, responsible for conducting the NEET UG exams, and the CBI, investigating alleged leaks, were instructed to file their affidavits by 5 pm on July 10 and provide copies to the petitioners.
“If we are not able to identify candidates who are guilty of wrongdoing, the retest has to be ordered. If you can’t distinguish the grain from the chaff, tainted from the untainted, it has to be ordered…,” said Chandrachud.
During the ongoing NEET UG 2024 Supreme Court hearing, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to disclose specific details regarding their investigation into the examination leak. The NTA has been asked to provide information on:
1. The steps taken to identify the centers or cities where the leak occurred.
2. The methodologies followed for identifying the beneficiaries.
3. The number of students identified so far as beneficiaries of the leak.
On Wednesday, the Centre submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding the NEET UG 2024 examination. The affidavit asserted that there were no indications of widespread cheating or specific groups of candidates gaining unfair advantage through abnormal scores. This conclusion was based on data analytics conducted by IIT-Madras, which revealed that the distribution of marks followed a typical bell-shaped curve common in large-scale examinations, indicating no irregularities.
On Monday, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud acknowledged that a leak occurred in the NEET UG 2024 examination. However, he stated that ordering a retest hinges on determining if the breach was systemic and impacted the entire process, and whether it is possible to distinguish the beneficiaries of the fraud from the untainted students.
“The fact that the sanctity of the examination has been breached… compromised, is beyond doubt. Now the question is how widespread is the breach,” CJI Chandrachud remarked during the hearing.
The upcoming counselling process for the NEET-UG 2024, scheduled to start in the third week of July, will be conducted in four rounds. Authorities have warned that any candidate found guilty of malpractice will face immediate cancellation of their candidature. This measure will be enforced at any stage during the counseling process or even after its conclusion.
The Union government has told the Supreme Court that they are unwilling to re-conduct the NEET UG 2024, arguing that canceling the exam entirely would unfairly harm the futures of the 24 lakh honest candidates who took the exam on May 5. In their affidavits, the government and NTA claim that instances of alleged malpractice are isolated and do not justify scrapping the entire exam, which would have a devastating impact on students who did not engage in any wrongdoing.