Supreme Court Hears Pleas on NEET-UG 2024, Expresses Concern Over Question Paper Leak

The Supreme Court of India commenced hearing on Monday more than 30 pleas related to the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking a direction to conduct it afresh. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is hearing the case.

The lawyers representing a petitioner started the submissions, saying that they were seeking the cancellation of the exam on grounds such as paper leak, OMR sheet manipulation, impersonation, and cheating. The bench observed that there is no question that the question paper has been leaked, and they are determining the extent of the leak.

The court also expressed concern over the spread of the leaked questions on social media and popular messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp. “If the sanctity of the exam is lost, then a re-test has to be ordered,” the bench said. The court also pointed out that if the leak was propagated through social media, then a re-test has to be ordered.

The bench also asked questions about the geographical distribution of the beneficiaries of the question paper leak and how many wrongdoers have been withheld. The court wants to know the results of how many wrongdoers have been withheld and the geographical distribution of such beneficiaries.

The petitioners are seeking a re-test, saying that identification of tainted and untainted students is not possible. The court is yet to take a final decision on the matter.

The Supreme Court’s observation comes as a relief to the 23 lakh students who appeared for the exam. The court’s decision will have a significant impact on the students who are waiting for the results.

The court’s hearing is ongoing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Update: The Supreme Court has said that if the question paper leak was taking place through Telegram, WhatsApp, and electronic means, then “it spreads like wildfire.” The court has also said that a re-test has to be ordered if the sanctity of the exam is lost.

Update: The Supreme Court has also said that it is determining the extent of the leak and wants to understand the pattern of the NEET exam.

Update: The Supreme Court has slow-played demands for a re-test of the NEET-UG exam, saying that ordering a re-test without understanding how many students had cheated would affect the lakhs who did not cheat.

Update: The Supreme Court has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to provide information on how many students had cheated and how many had not.

The Supreme Court’s decision on the NEET-UG 2024 exam is expected to have a significant impact on the students who appeared for the exam. The court’s hearing is ongoing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.