‘Satyamev Jayate’: Pradhan hails SC order on NEET, says final results in 2 days

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has hailed the Supreme Court’s decision on the NEET-UG issue and announced that the final results of the medical entrance exam will be declared within two days.

The top court on Tuesday (July 23) dismissed the pleas seeking a cancellation of the controversy-ridden 2024 NEET-UG and a re-test, holding that there wasn’t sufficient evidence on record to conclude that the exam was “vitiated” on account of “systemic breach” of its sanctity.

Shot in the arm for govt

The interim verdict, to be followed by a detailed order, came as a shot in the arm for the embattled BJP-led NDA government and the National Testing Agency (NTA), which were facing strong criticism and protests, on the streets and in Parliament, over alleged large-scale malpractices such as question paper leak, fraud, and impersonation in the prestigious test held on May 5.

“Satyamev Jayate. Truth has prevailed,” Pradhan said at a press conference, welcoming the decision.

The Centre had been saying there was no large-scale leak and the Supreme Court has upheld that, he said, adding that the government has zero tolerance for any kind of breach and the sanctity of exams is “supreme for us”.

Revamp of NTA

“For us, zero tolerance of any kind of breach is our priority when it comes to exams for students — be it for higher education or jobs. So, the Modi government has brought into effect a strict law like The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act,” Pradhan told the media.

“Presenting our side before the Supreme Court, we have promised that our government is committed to having a transparent, tamper-free and zero-error examination system. Taking this commitment forward, we announced a high-level committee for a complete revamp of NTA. That committee is working dedicatedly...The committee has collected expert opinions and studied various models...They will submit a report soon,” he added.

Message for students

“I would like to assure the youth and students of the country that we are committed to making NTA error-free. In this process, none of those involved in these irregularities will be spared. Strict legal action will be taken. CBI is doing its job,” he said, asserting that if anybody is found to have been involved in exam irregularities, they will not be spared.

Pradhan said the NTA will announce the final results for the NEET-UG within two days and added that the exam’s merit list will be revised according to the observations made by the Supreme Court.

Attacking the Opposition, he alleged that it is trying to create “anarchy and civil unrest” over the NEET issue.

(With agency inputs)