According to media reports, the petition argues that new evidence has surfaced since Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud ruled out a retest for NEET UG 2024. The petition claims this evidence points to a widespread breach and malpractice across multiple states, undermining the fairness of the examination. It further contends that it is now impossible to distinguish between those who benefited from the malpractice and honest students. Notably, 16 missing mobile phones, reportedly linked to the paper leak, have been recovered from a pond in Dhanbad, adding another layer to this unfolding story.
As per the information, a review petition is usually filed by an aggrieved party requesting the court to reconsider its decision. Most of the time, the review petitions are heard in a chamber hearing without the presence of parties, lawyers, or litigants. The same judges who issued the original order review the case and pass a decision. But, will this be the case with the NEET UG review petition?
What was the August 2 decision and what led to it?
On August 2, the Supreme Court delivered its final judgment, explaining its decision not to cancel the NEET UG 2024 examination. Earlier, on July 23, the Court had reviewed a data analytics report from IIT Madras, along with other relevant statistics, and concluded that there was no systematic violation in the NEET UG question paper.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court directed the Centre-appointed committee to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to enhance technological safeguards. These SOPs should include identifying potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the examination system, improving identity verification processes, and implementing CCTV monitoring at exam centers.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) outlined the key responsibilities of the government-appointed committee. The committee’s duties will include:
- Evaluation of existing procedures.
- Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Review of the process for allotting exam centres.
- Implementation of enhanced identity verification checks.
- Installation of CCTV monitoring systems at exam centres.
- Engagement of secure logistics providers to ensure the integrity of examination papers.
- Recommendation of a robust grievance redressal mechanism.
The CJI underscored the critical need to harness technological advancements for detecting vulnerabilities in the examination system’s cybersecurity. He also highlighted the significance of international collaboration in strengthening cybersecurity measures.
The Supreme Court has mandated the committee to submit its report by September 30. Following this, the Union Ministry of Education is expected to provide a detailed report on the committee’s compliance and the implementation of its recommendations within two weeks. The Court also clarified that any student with unresolved grievances may seek redress through the High Courts.
The Physics question controversy: A game-changer for NEET UG 2024
During the legal proceedings, a controversial Physics question in the NEET UG 2024 exam was a focal point. The question, which confused many students, revolved around two statements about atoms:
- Atoms are electrically neutral as they contain an equal number of positive and negative charges.
- Atoms of each element are stable and emit their characteristic spectrum.
Students were required to choose the most appropriate answer from the following combinations:
- (1) Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct.
- (2) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
- (3) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.
- (4) Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect.
Media reports indicate that over 4 lakh students selected option 2, based on an older NCERT textbook, while more than 9 lakh students chose option 4, based on the latest NCERT textbook. The National Testing Agency (NTA) initially accepted both options as correct and awarded four marks to students who selected either option. However, petitioners argued that this contradicted the NEET UG instructions, which specified that candidates should follow the latest NCERT edition.
The Supreme Court intervened, directing IIT Delhi to resolve the dispute. After review, IIT Delhi’s expert committee determined that option 4 was the correct answer, leading the Supreme Court to instruct the NTA to rectify the error.
NEET UG 2024 revised results
Following the Supreme Court’s order, the NTA released the re-revised NEET UG 2024 results on July 26, 2024. The NTA also announced a new merit list and updated the cut-off scores for all categories. The re-revised results identified a fresh list of NEET UG 2024 toppers.
NEET UG counselling 2024
As per the official schedule of NEET UG Counselling 2024, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) began the registration process for Round 1 on August 14 and concluded it on August 20, 2024. The seat allotment processing took place from August 21 to 23, 2024, with the seat allotment results announced on August 23, 2024. The verification process for candidates was conducted from August 30 to 31, 2024.
The registration process for Round 2 will begin on September 5 and will conclude on September 10, 2024. Candidates can click on this link to check the full NEET UG counselling schedule.
