The Supreme Court verdict ends the suspense over the fate of over one lakh aspiring doctors who had qualified in NEET-2024.
Published Jul 23, 2024 | 7:23 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 23, 2024 | 9:00 PM
File photo of NEET protests. (SFI_CEC/ X)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 23 July refused to cancel the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test-Under Graduate (NEET-UG) 2024 or order a retest, saying that despite two localised leaks it cannot be concluded that there was a systemic breach.
Acknowledging that the medical entrance test paper was leaked in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh and Bihar’s Patna, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said in its verdict that it would be unjustified to subject 23.33 lakh aspirants to a re-exam.
The verdict ends the suspense over the fate of over one lakh aspiring doctors who had qualified in NEET-2024 and paves the way for counselling for seat allotment to pick up speed.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard submissions from lawyers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), and senior advocates Narender Hooda, Sanjay Hegde and Mathews Nedumapra for around four days.
The bench dictated the operative part of the judgement keeping in mind the future of over two million students and said a detailed judgement will follow.
“There is absence of material to conclude that the result of NEET-UG 2024 exam is vitiated or there is systemic breach,” the CJI said. The bench, however, added that the fact that the question paper leak took place in Hazaribagh and Patna was not in dispute.
The NTA and the Union education ministry have been at the centre of a massive political row and protests by students over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leaks to impersonation in the test held on 5 May.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. The NEET-UG 2024 was taken by 23.33 lakh students at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 overseas.
(Edited by Neena with inputs from Sumit Jha and PTI)
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