Last Wednesday, the Central Government submitted an affidavit to the court, asserting that the NEET UG examination was not marred by “mass malpractice.” The report further suggests that no localized group of candidates received undue advantages that led to abnormal scores in the NEET results.
What did the affidavit say?
The government stated that according to an analysis by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, there is no proof of extensive irregularities or any particular set of candidates benefiting unjustly. Further, the affidavit suggests that the distribution of marks followed a bell-shaped curve, which is common in large-scale examinations.
Supreme Court’s notice to the NTA
On Monday, the Apex Court issued a notice on new petitions filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA). These petitions request that cases related to the alleged paper leak, currently pending in the Rajasthan High Court, be transferred to the Supreme Court, as reported by IANS. A bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud ordered that the NTA’s transfer plea be combined with the main group of petitions, which also includes requests to cancel the examination.
NEET UG Supreme Court hearing: What to expect tomorrow?
On July 8, CJI DY Chandrachud stated that ordering a retest for nearly 23 lakh students would be a last resort. He noted that many aspirants come from poor families and cannot afford the additional travel costs unless absolutely necessary.
The question that arises is: Will the Supreme Court order a retest? In the previous hearing, the Apex Court said that there is a need for a thorough investigation and a full-disclosure report before it reaches a final decision. During the July 8th hearing, the Supreme Court outlined the parameters on which it may decide if a retest is needed:
- 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 it is not possible to distinguish between tainted and untainted candidates.
NEET UG 2024 row: A brief timeline
Here is an outline of the events surrounding the NEET UG 2024 exam
May 5: The National Testing Agency conducted the NEET UG 2024 examination on May 5, 2024, across India and at a few centers abroad. During the same month, a petition alleging irregularities in the examination was filed, raising concerns about a possible paper leak.
June 4: On this date, the agency declared the NEET UG 2024 results. Surprisingly, this year, 67 students clinched the top position in the examination with a perfect score of 720. In the coming days, rumors circulated that a few students were awarded “grace marks,” leading to protests by several students and parents demanding revaluation.
June 10: The NEET UG controversy intensified, with many candidates filing petitions in the Supreme Court. Several politicians also joined the chorus, demanding a thorough investigation. The next day, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the NTA and the Central Government, seeking their response to the allegations. In the same week, the Apex Court ordered a retest for 1,563 students who were awarded “grace marks.”
June 13: The Apex Court ordered a re-examination of 1,563 candidates who received “grace marks.”
June 14: The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan denied the allegations of corruption surrounding the examination and the government agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
June 15:A new petition was filed in the court demanding a revaluation of the NEET answer sheets.
June 17: The Education Minister conceded to the irregularities in the examination and acknowledged a lapse in the security protocol. Soon, the Apex Court directed the Bihar and Gujarat police to submit a detailed report on the NEET UG paper leak investigation. The court also refrained from ordering a nationwide retest.
June 23:The National Testing Agency conducted the NEET UG 2024 retest for the 1,563 students. However, according to the NTA, only 813 appeared for the retest across seven centres.
July 8: The Supreme Court heard the plea where the Chief Justice emphasized that a retest for nearly 23 lakh students would be the last resort.
July 11: The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the pleas, but the hearing was postponed to July 18, 2024.
According to reports, the Apex Court will tentatively hear more than 40 pleas tomorrow between 10:30-11:00, including those filed by the NTA seeking the transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts.