The Supreme Court has issued a stern warning to the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, emphasizing that any negligence, however minor, must be thoroughly addressed.
“If there is 0.001 percent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with. All these matters ought not to be treated as adversarial litigation,” stated a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti on Tuesday.
Highlighting the hard work of the students, the bench reminded the Centre and NTA’s counsels of the importance of fair conduct during the exams. “We cannot forget their labour,” the justices noted, stressing that the NTA, as the exam-conducting body, must act with integrity.
“If there is a mistake, say yes, this is a mistake, and this is the action we are going to take. At least that inspires confidence in your performance,” the Supreme Court advised the NTA, emphasizing the need for timely corrective actions.
Concerns Over NEET-UG 2024 Exam
Aspirants have voiced concerns about question paper leaks, compensatory marks, and other anomalies related to the NEET-UG 2024 exam. The Supreme Court, addressing fresh petitions on May 5 about these alleged issues, has demanded a response from the NTA within two weeks. These petitions, along with others pending, are scheduled for hearing on July 8.
Several petitions have called for the recall of NEET-UG 2024 results and a re-examination due to alleged paper leaks and malpractices.
NTA’s Response to Allegations
In response to these concerns, the NTA informed the Supreme Court that the scorecards of 1563 candidates who received “grace marks” due to time loss during the exam will be canceled. These students will be given the opportunity to reappear for the exam on June 23, with results to be declared before June 30.
Despite the ongoing issues, the Supreme Court has declined to stay the NEET-UG 2024 counseling process.
About NEET-UG
The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is a crucial gateway for admissions into medical, dental, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across India.