New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India will review petitions today concerning the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam held on May 5. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will hear over 40 pleas related to the exam.
The petitions address various issues, including the cancellation of the exam, the need for a retest, and alleged malpractices during the NEET-UG 2024. Additionally, they seek to transfer ongoing cases against the National Testing Agency (NTA) from different high courts.
Chief Justice Chandrachud previously mentioned on July 8 that a retest for nearly 2.3 million students would be a last resort. He emphasized the financial burden a retest would impose on many candidates, especially those from low-income families.
The key question is whether the Supreme Court will order a retest. In the last hearing, the court highlighted the need for a thorough investigation and a detailed report before making a final decision. The court outlined specific criteria for determining if a retest is necessary: whether the breach was systemic, if it compromised the integrity of the exam, and if it is possible to distinguish between those affected by the fraud and unaffected students.
If the breach is found to be extensive and differentiation between compromised and uncompromised candidates is not feasible, the court may order a retest.
The Centre and the NTA have argued that canceling the exam would harm the futures of many honest candidates and that there is no substantial evidence of a significant breach.
On May 5, over 2.33 million students took the NEET-UG exam at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 overseas locations. The NTA conducts NEET-UG for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across India.
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