Fate of 23 Lakh Aspiring Doctors in Limbo as SC Yet to Take a Call on NEET Re-Examination

The Supreme Court of India is yet to decide the fate of 23 lakh aspiring doctors who are anxiously waiting for a re-examination of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) exam, also known as NEET UG 2024, which was marred by a question paper leak on May 5. The Court’s decision will have a significant impact on the careers of these students, who are currently navigating troubled waters amidst the uncertainty surrounding the exam’s integrity.

During a recent hearing, the Supreme Court Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized the need to determine the extent of the compromise to decide whether a retest is necessary. The Court outlined three key parameters to consider: whether the alleged breach occurred at a systemic level, whether it affects the integrity of the entire exam process, and whether it is possible to segregate the beneficiaries of the fraud from the untainted students. If the breach is widespread and it is not possible to distinguish between tainted and untainted candidates, a retest may be ordered.

The petitioners, who are demanding a re-examination, argue that the paper leak undermined the principles of fairness enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality. They claim that the leak provided an unfair advantage to certain candidates, disadvantageous to those who attempted the exam honestly. The Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) have opposed the cancellation of the exam, citing the potential harm it could cause to lakhs of honest candidates in the absence of evidence of widespread breach of confidentiality.

The Supreme Court has ordered the NTA to respond to some petitions but refused to halt counselling for admissions to medical colleges. CJI Chandrachud emphasized the need to determine the consequences of the leak, stating that if the government does not cancel the exam, it must take steps to find out who benefited from the question paper leak. The Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 11.

The controversy surrounding NEET UG 2024 began on May 17, when a notice was issued in the lead petition titled ‘Vanshika Yadav v. Union of India,’ which sought to have the exams conducted afresh due to the alleged malpractices and paper leak. The Supreme Court refused to grant a stay on the NEET-UG 2024 results, but agreed to consider the matter and scheduled the hearing for after the summer vacation.

The NTA announced the NEET UG 2024 results on June 4, revealing that 67 candidates scored a perfect 720, making them joint toppers. This year saw an increase in competition, with 13.16 lakh candidates qualifying compared to 11.44 lakh in 2023. The announcement raised numerous issues among aspirants, including exam irregularities, leading to demands for a re-exam. Concerns were particularly high regarding the perfect scores achieved by 67 students, especially as six of these students had consecutive seat numbers and were from the same center in Haryana, suggesting possible irregularities.

The fate of these aspiring doctors hangs in the balance, as the Supreme Court weighs the need for a re-examination against the potential harm it could cause to lakhs of honest candidates. The Court’s decision will have far-reaching consequences for the medical aspirants, who are eagerly waiting for a resolution to this controversy.