July 8: On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear the petitions on the NEET-UG 2024 controversy, after 10:30 am. A three-judge bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud, and consisting of Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will consider a total of 38 petitions. The NEET UG 2024 result has been challenged by several candidates and coaching centres.
The Supreme Court declared today that the NEET UG question paper leak has been clearly established. "We want to know the number of beneficiaries of the question paper leak, and what action has been taken against them,” said the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled for July 11th. The petitioners' attorneys stated that they were asking for the exam to be cancelled due to issues including paper leaks, manipulated OMR sheets, impersonation, and cheating.
Latest updates from the Hearing:
- If the sanctity of the exam is lost, a re-test has to be ordered - SC
In today's hearing, the Supreme Court declared that a retest would need to be ordered if the integrity of the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam was "lost" and if the question paper leak had been widely disseminated via social media. The court led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud added that "it spreads like wildfire" if the question paper leak was occurring via electronic methods like WhatsApp, Telegram, and other messaging apps."It is evident that there has been a question paper leak," the bench, which also included Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, declared.
- The next hearing is on July 11
A request has been filed to specify the topics for Thursday's additional hearing. In the interim, the IO's (CBI) report should be recorded. The hearing for the NEET UG case is scheduled for July 11.
- SC on Counselling
The court wants clarification on the steps taken between the end of the exam and the start of counselling, especially concerning the retest that was given to 1,563 students and any further initiatives that are being made to find recipients of the leak.
The importance of maintaining the NEET exam's integrity is emphasized, and a multidisciplinary committee to supervise preventive measures is recommended. Additionally, questions are raised regarding the composition and scope of the committee.
- SC dictates order
NTA has been asked to provide information on the actions taken thus far to identify beneficiaries.
(1) The actions that the NTA conducted to pinpoint the locations and localities where the leak occurred
(2) The procedures used to identify
(3) The total number of students who have been designated as beneficiaries thus far
Furthermore, three other things have been ordered by the court to be fully disclosed by the NTA: the nature of the leak, the places where it happened, and the amount of time that passed between the leak and the exam. It is required that the NTA offer clarification on these matters.
The CBI was ordered by the Supreme Court today to submit a report outlining the investigation's progress.
- SG requests that the next hearing be held on Thursday
Similar to CB issues, the SC announces the appointment of a nodal counsel and instructs the Center to send forth a comprehensive schedule of dates. The petitioners are asking that the CBI report on the progress of the six FIRs' investigation be requested by the court. SG suggests that the next hearing be held on Thursday and promises to request records from the CBI.
- 'Paper leak is an admitted fact,' says CJI
It is undeniable that the exam's integrity has been compromised. According to CJI, the paper leak is an acknowledged reality. "The nature of the leak is what we are considering. The leak cannot be disputed. The consequences of it is what we are considering.”
- Can there be a Re-NEET?
According to CJI, the retest for a NEET UG may not take place if there is a shorter period between the paper leak and the exam day. But if there is a longer period between the paper leak and the exam, it would make sense.
We consider the fact that we are dealing with 23 lakh students when determining whether to administer a retest, adds CJI.
Given the prestigious nature of the exam, CJI advocates for a multidisciplinary committee that is not solely government-led. Enhancing exam security to stop leaks in the future and steps to identify beneficiaries if the exam isn't cancelled entirely are the main topics of discussion. The court acknowledges the petitioner's worries regarding an increase in perfect scores in comparison to historical data and asks whether the highest scorers are favoured by the percentile distribution.
- "Mathematically impossible," asserts Counsel 1 regarding the exaggerated top scores on NEET
"Prima facie involvement of organized gang was found in this case by Bihar police...67 candidates scored 720/720 marks, 6 being from the same centre...this is mathematically not possible," states Counsel 1.
- The NEET Hearing starts
Counsel 1 (for petitioners): We are asking that this exam, which was administered on May 5, be cancelled.
Furthermore, they stated that the question paper and answers were revealed in a Telegram channel one day before the exam. Subsequently, the NTA issued a press release addressing the problem of misdistributing question papers.
"Numerous incidents of NEET 2024 paper leaks have been reported. Patna police filed a FIR," Counsel 1 stated in the Supreme Court.
- One NEET Case withdrawn
The National Testing Agency (NTA) v. Nitin Vijay case, item 31.4 (on the NEET dispute), has requested that the application be withdrawn.
Another attorney brings forward a plea about the August NEET-PG exam. According to CJI, the PG issue will be de-tagged.
- The NEET Hearing
Although the Supreme Court has met, the NEET UG case has not yet been heard. The NEET UG petitions are listed as item 31.
- The Court has Convened
A counsel brings up a petition that 56 students from Gujarat submitted in opposition to the requests to hold another NEET-UG exam. CJI requests that the attorney bring up the issue when the other NEET-UG cases are discussed.
- The CJI-led bench gathers at 10:30 a.m.
The cases will be considered by a bench that includes Justices Manoj Misra, JB Pardiwala, and CJI DY Chandrachud.
Last week, in its appeal to the Supreme Court, the Union government stated that it would be unwilling to hold the NEET UG 2024 again and that doing so would "seriously jeopardize the lakhs of honest candidates" who took the test on May 5. There were "instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation, malpractices" during the administration of NEET UG, the education ministry only conceded in its affidavit submitted to the top court on Thursday. A paper leak, though, is not mentioned. "In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination," the statement continues.
For more on this issue, read: NEET 2024: Centre Opposes NEET UG Retest; NEET PG Revised Dates Announced
Inputs: Agencies
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