NEET UG 2024 SC Hearing LIVE Updates: Supreme Court Directs CBI to File Status Report, Says Cancellation of Exam ‘Last Resort’

The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing on the NEET UG 2024 paper leak row and re-exam for Thursday, July 11. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) emphasized the need for full disclosure on whether data analytics can be used to identify suspects in the case, and urged authorities to identify the modalities before the court.

During the hearing, the CJI highlighted the importance of being cautious about the nature of the paper leak. He noted that if the leak occurred through social media, it spread rapidly, but if it happened on the exam day itself, the time for spread was limited. This concerns over 20 lakh students, the CJI added. The bench also pointed out that 67 candidates scored 720/720, which is a significant increase from previous years, and raised concerns about the proportion of students who achieved this feat.

The CJI directed counsels for petitioners seeking a re-test to file a common set of submissions not exceeding 10 pages by Thursday. The Education Ministry and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had filed affidavits opposing the demand for cancellation of the exam, stating that scrapping NEET UG 2024 would be “counterproductive” and “seriously jeopardize” several students in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality.

The Supreme Court has asked the NTA to provide full disclosure on the nature of the paper leak, including the places where it occurred, the lag between the leak and the conduct of the exam, and the process of distributing exam papers. The CJI also sought answers on how the printing press sends question papers back to NTA and how many days this entire process takes.

The CJI emphasized that cancelling the exam is the last resort and should be considered only under extreme circumstances. He questioned whether the beneficiaries of the wrongdoing have been identified and if not, the exam may need to be cancelled. The CJI also sought answers on how NTA sends question papers to banks across cities, the process of distributing exam papers, and the transportation arrangements.

The counsel for the petitioners revealed that the NEET UG question paper was circulated on the Telegram app on May 5, and that the NTA is investigating six cases with FIRs registered in various states. The CJI questioned the NTA’s process of distributing exam papers, including when the papers were pulled out, how they were distributed, and how they were sent abroad.

The CJI also highlighted that earlier, only one to three students would score full marks, but this year, 67 students achieved a perfect score. The counsel pointed out that the number of perfect scorers reduced from 67 to 61 in the re-exam, and that five of the six applicants who received 720/720 on the first try kept their marks over 680 on the second try.

The Supreme Court has directed the CBI to file a status report on the investigation so far. The CJI emphasized the need to understand the pattern of the NEET UG exam, including the nature of FIRs, the paper leak process, and the actions taken by the government and NTA to identify wrongdoers and beneficiaries. The bench also suggested that a re-test may be necessary for the “red flag” category of students who may have been affected by the paper leak.