What did Supreme Court say about NEET-UG 2024?

Observing that a re-test has to be ordered if sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 is "lost", the Supreme Court on Monday (July 8) sought information from the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) about the timing of a question paper leak and the duration between the leak and the actual test.

The apex court also sought to know the number of wrongdoers identified so far and the methodology adopted for the paper leak.

Here's what the SC said

Leak has  taken place: "One thing is clear that leak of question paper has taken place," a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said.

Re-test possibility: The extent of question paper leak and the beneficiaries across geographical boundaries have to be ascertained before the court may order re-test in the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam conducted on May 5, said the CJI.

Call for CBI report: Posting for July 11 the next hearing on a batch of pleas alleging irregularities in the NEET-UG, the court directed the investigating officer of the CBI, which is conducting probe into the allegations of malpractices, OMR sheet manipulation, impersonation and cheating, to place before it a report indicating the status of probe.

Legal position on re-test: Referring to legal position on ordering re-test, the SC said it will have to be "scrutinised whether the alleged breach has taken place at systemic level, whether the breach has affected integrity of the entire exam process and whether it is possible to segregate the beneficiaries of fraud from the untainted students".

"In a situation where breach affects the entirety of process and it is not possible to segregate the beneficiaries from others, it may be necessary to order a re-test," said the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Direction to NTA: The SC said the NTA must disclose the steps taken so to identify the beneficiaries of wrongdoings. It asked the NTA to apprise it about the steps taken to identify the centres and cities where the question paper leaks happened, the modalities followed for identifying the beneficiaries and their numbers ascertained so far.

Direction to Centre: Expressing concern over ensuring the sanctity of NEET-UG, the court said it would be necessary for the Union government to consider setting up a multidisciplinary team of renowned experts so that such instances are not repeated in the future.

Loss of sanctity: The bench observed that if the sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 is "lost" and if the leak of its question paper has been propagated through social media, then a re-test has to be ordered. It said if the question paper leak was taking place through Telegram, WhatsApp and electronic means, then "it spreads like wildfire".

"If the sanctity of the exam is lost, then a re-test has to be ordered. If we are unable to identify those who are guilty, then a re-test has to be ordered," the bench observed.

"Let us not be in self-denial about what happened," it said, adding, "Assuming that the government does not cancel the exam, what will it do to identify the beneficiaries of the question paper leak?"

The red flags: The court said there were certain "red flags" as 67 candidates had scored 720 out of 720. "In the previous years, the proportion was very low," the bench added.