11 Jun. 24: The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding discrepancies in the NEET-UG 2024 results. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, acknowledged the potential compromise in the results’ integrity, stating, “Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers.”
Despite the issued notice, the court has refused to stay the ongoing counseling process for NEET-UG admissions. The next hearing is set for July 8 after the court’s summer vacation.
Background of the Case
The plea, represented by Advocate Mathews Nedumpara, calls for a reconsideration of the NEET-UG 2024 results and a stay on the counseling process. This petition, filed by Shivangi Mishra and others on June 1, came before the results were officially announced.
Previous Allegations and Court Actions
The NTA’s counsel requested the court to combine the current petition with an earlier one, which raised concerns about a potential paper leak. The Supreme Court had issued a notice regarding this allegation on May 17 but did not stay the results. This earlier case is also scheduled for a hearing on July 8.
Justice Amanullah emphasized the necessity for answers from the NTA, underscoring that the results cannot be deemed unquestionable solely based on their publication.
Fresh Petitions and Grace Marks Controversy
Several new petitions have emerged, challenging the grace marks awarded to over 1,500 students due to delays during the exam. Advocate J Sai Deepak and three other lawyers attempted to bring these petitions to the court’s attention, but the vacation bench directed them to approach the Registry. The bench highlighted that it lacked the authority to list these petitions immediately.
The petitioners argue that the grace marks were granted arbitrarily and question the statistical likelihood of scores as high as 718 and 719 out of 720. They also raised concerns about 6 students from a single center scoring perfect marks and pointed to alleged issues with the provisional answer key published on April 29.
Demands from the Petitioners
The petitioners are seeking a stay on the NEET-UG 2024 counseling until a thorough investigation into the alleged paper leak is completed. They also demand the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
Government Response
On June 8, the NTA and the Union Education Ministry announced the creation of a four-member committee to review the results of the candidates who received grace marks.
The Supreme Court will continue to address these issues, with the next hearing slated for July 8.
