Tomorrow, July 11, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court as it shares its verdict on the NEET UG 2024 issue.The main question is, ‘Will the Supreme Court order a retest?’
On July 8, 2024, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stated that ordering a retest for nearly 23 lakh students would be a last resort. He mentioned that many of these aspirants come from poor families and cannot afford the additional traveling costs unless absolutely necessary. During the hearing, the apex court emphasised the need for a thorough investigation and a full-disclosure report before reaching a final decision.
NEET UG 2024 hearing: Will there be a re-examination for NEET UG 2024?
On July 8, while hearing the NEET UG 2024 plea, the apex court stated, “The fact that the sanctity of the examination has been compromised is beyond doubt. Now, what is the consequence of that leak would depend on the nature of that leak. If it is not extensive, then there is no need for cancellation. Before we order a retest, we must be careful. We are dealing with the careers of 23 lakh students,” said CJI Chandrachud.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court outlined the parameters on which it may decide if a retest is needed or not. The apex court will make its decision based on the following parameters:
- Whether the alleged breach occurred at a systemic level.
- Whether the breach affects the integrity of the examination process.
- Whether it is possible to segregate the beneficiaries of the fraud from the untainted students.
- The court will order a retest if the breach is widespread and if it is not possible to distinguish between the tainted and untainted candidates.
NEET UG 2024 controversy: A brief timeline
This year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET UG 2024 on May 5, 2024, for over 23 lakh students across India and in a few centers abroad. In the same month, a petition alleging irregularities in the medical examination was filed, raising concerns about a possible question paper leak.
On June 4, NTA declared the much-awaited NEET UG 2024 result. However, this year, 67 students topped the examination with a perfect score of 720, which once again raised several questions. Further, rumors started circulating that some students were awarded “grace marks.” In the same week, many students, along with their parents, started protesting across the country, and demands for revaluation gained momentum.
On June 10, the controversy intensified as several candidates filed petitions in the Supreme Court. Several political leaders also joined the chorus and demanded a thorough investigation. On June 11, the apex court issued a notice to NTA and the Central Government, seeking their response to the allegations.
In the same week, the Supreme Court ordered a retest for 1,563 students who received “grace marks.” On June 14, the Union Education Minister denied the allegations of corruption surrounding the NEET examination and the government agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
On June 15, a new petition was filed in the Apex Court demanding a revaluation of all the answer sheets.
On June 17, the Education Minister conceded to the irregularities in the NEET examination and acknowledged a lapse in the security protocol.
In the following days, the Supreme Court directed the Bihar and Gujarat police to submit a detailed report on the investigation regarding the NEET-UG paper leak. Further, the apex court refrained from ordering a nationwide retest for all students.
On July 8, the apex court heard the ongoing NEET UG case where the Chief Justice emphasised that a re-test for nearly 23 lakh students would be a last resort, highlighting the financial burden it would place on families. Furthermore, the court stated that a thorough investigation and a full-disclosure report are needed before it reaches a final decision.
