NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak: No Systemic Breach Of NEET Papers, Leak Only Limited To Patna And Hazaribagh, Says SC

The Supreme court said it did not cancel the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 examination amid concerns of paper leak because there was no systematic breach of its sanctity.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court(SC) on Friday pronounced its judgment containing detailed reasons for not cancelling the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test(NEET-UG) examination amid the allegation of paper leak and other irregularities. The top court said it did not cancel the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 examination amid concerns of the paper leak because there was no systematic breach of its sanctity.

Issuing a slew of directions, the bench expanded the remit of the Centre-appointed panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the NTA’s functioning and recommend exam reforms. It said since the remit of the panel has been expanded, the committee would submit its report by September 30 on various measures to rectify deficiencies in the examination system, PTI reported.

Additionally, the bench said the Radhakrishnan panel should consider framing standard operating procedure for adoption of technological advancements to strengthen the examination system. Criticising the National Testing Agency(NTA) for the flip flops it made concerning the conduct of the medical entrance examination, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was quoted as saying by Livelaw, “We have said that the NTA must now avoid the flip flops which it has made in this case. These flip-flops in the NTA does not serve the interest of the students.” It said the issues which have arisen during the NEET-UG examination should be rectified by the Centre.

The court provided eight guidelines for the committee, which include establishing a standard operating procedure or protocol for conducting qualifying exams, reviewing the process of assigning exam centers, implementing enhanced identity checks for candidates, and ensuring CCTV monitoring of exam centers.

Another point emphasized the need to use “secure logistics providers for ensuring non-tampering of question papers” This measure is crucial, given the possibility that the 2024 NEET-UG exam papers may have been leaked while being transported in locked boxes from the printing location to the exam centers.

According to the cause list published on the apex court’s website, a bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will on Friday(August 2) deliver its verdict.

NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Row: Supreme Court Pronounces Detailed Judgement 

1. While pronouncing the verdict, the Supreme Court said that there was no systemic breach of the NEET-UG 2024 papers, the leak was only limited to Patna and Hazaribagh.
2. The apex court in its judgement said that the committee constituted by the Centre also consider framing SOP for technological advancements to identify potential weaknesses in the cyber security of the examination system, processes for enhanced identity checks, and CCTV monitoring of exam centres.
3. The top court added that in it’s judgement it has highlighted all the deficiences in the structural processes of the NTAs. We cannot afford this for the betterment of the students, says Supreme Court. Supreme Court says that the issues which have arisen must be rectified by the Centre this year itself so that it is not repeated.
4. Criticising the National Testing Agency(NTA) for the flip flops it made concerning the conduct of the medical entrance examination, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud was quoted as saying by Livelaw, “We have said that the NTA must now avoid the flip flops which it has made in this case. These flip-flops in the NTA does not serve the interest of the students.”

#WATCH | Advocate Shwetank Sailakwal says “Supreme Court has laid down various guidelines regarding paper leak. The court has taken note of the paper leak which happened in Hazaribagh and Patna, and a committee was also formed. Supreme Court has directed the committee to… https://t.co/YoKEthMAE4 pic.twitter.com/md4E9y4U1x

— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2024

The top court on July 23 refused to cancel the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate examination held on May 5, holding that there was no systemic breach in the examination. It said the data on record is not indicative of a systemic leak of the NEET-UG question paper, which would indicate a disruption of the sanctity of the exam. However, it acknowledged the fact that the leak of the NEET-UG paper took place at Hazaribagh and Patna and said that it is “not in dispute”.

>NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Row: Supreme Court to Pronounce Detailed Judgement Today

The National Testing Agency conducted the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (UG) for more than 24 lakh candidates at 4750 different Centres located in 571 Cities throughout the country including 14 Cities outside India on May 5, 2024 (Sunday). However, a re-examination was held for 1563 candidates for 1563 candidates. It is to be noted that only 813 candidates have appeared for the re-examination.

The bench also said that directing a fresh NEET-UG exam for the present year would be replete with serious consequences for over 23 lakh students who appeared in this exam. “Ordering a re-exam will lead to disruption of the academic schedule, causing a cascading effect in the coming years,” the bench stated in its order, ANI reported.

In a previous hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the Director of IIT Delhi to constitute a team of three experts to formulate its opinion on the correct option. During the hearing on pleas seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG, a petitioner pointed out that as many as 44 candidates were able to secure full marks on account of the ambiguous question, and questioned the NTA’s decision to award compensatory marks in violation of its own instructions asking students to follow the latest NCERT textbook.

NEET UG Re-Revised Final Results 2024 was declared on July 26. A total of 17 candidates have shared the All India Rank 1. This also meant that the topper list came down from 61 to 17, while thousands of others candidates have seen their marks and rankings change significantly.

CBI files first charge sheet in alleged NEET exam paper leak case against 13 accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first charge sheet in the alleged NEET UG examination paper leak case naming 13 people as accused. The central agency has named 13 accused people – Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand, Sikander Yadvendu, Ashutosh Kumar-1, Roshan Kumar, Manish Prakash, Ashutosh Kumar-2, Akhilesh Kumar, Avdesh Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Shivnandan Kumar and Ayush Raj. They were arrested by Bihar Police during its probe between the date of examination May 5 and the day CBI took over investigation on June 23, the officials were quoted as saying to PTI.

NEET examination is held for admission to undergraduate medical education in all medical institutions. The Medical Counselling Committee will commence the NEET UG 2024 Counselling round 1 registration process on August 14.

(Inputs From Agencies)