Supreme Court Observations on NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak and Re-Examination
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, in a significant development on Monday, addressed concerns over the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam paper. The court emphasized that if the exam's integrity has been compromised due to the dissemination of question papers on social media platforms, conducting a re-examination becomes imperative. The proceedings saw the court seeking accountability from authorities and directing the CBI to submit a status report by Wednesday, adjourning the matter for further review.
The apex court's hearing, which encompassed more than 30 petitions related to irregularities and malpractices during the May 5 test, included requests for a directive to re-conduct the examination. Notably, a separate plea filed by over 50 successful NEET-UG candidates from Gujarat sought to prevent the Centre and the NTA from invalidating the disputed exam.
Key observations from the Supreme Court include acknowledging the question paper leak and stressing the need to determine the extent of the leak before deciding on a re-test. The court cautioned against cancelling the entire exam hastily due to isolated instances of malpractice, underscoring the need for careful assessment given the involvement of approximately 23 lakh students.
Highlighting the rapid dissemination of leaks through digital platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, the court expressed concerns about preserving exam integrity. It emphasized that if leaks spread via social media, a re-test must be ordered to maintain fairness.
The Bench, comprising CJI and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, also questioned the government's actions in response to the leak, urging stringent measures against wrongdoers and those who benefited from the paper's leakage. The court instructed the CBI to provide updates on investigations into the paper leak FIRs by Wednesday, with further hearings scheduled for Thursday. Additionally, the Supreme Court directed the NTA and Centre to address all queries raised, emphasizing that a decision on the re-test would hinge on these responses. CJI specifically directed the NTA to disclose three critical aspects: the nature of the leak, specific locations of leakage, and the time gap between the leak and the exam's conduct.
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