NEET row | ‘Even 0.001% negligence’ must be dealt with: SC pulls up NTA

Amid mounting criticism over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 18) strongly pulled up the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the nationwide NEET exam for medical college aspirants.

“Even if there is 0.001 per cent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with,” a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti told the advocates appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA). The top court told the NTA that as an agency which is conducting the examination they “must act fair”.

"If there is a mistake, say yes, this is a mistake, and this is the action we are going to take," the SC said, pointing out that that would at least inspire confidence in the NTA's performance.

Next hearing on July 8

The bench was hearing two separate petitions raising grievances, including on grace marks given to students in the examination held on May 5.

“We all know the labour which the children undergo, especially in preparing for these exams,” the bench said, adding, “Imagine a person who has played fraud on the system becomes a doctor, he is more deleterious to the society”.

“Representing an agency which is responsible for conducting the examination, you must stand firm. If there is a mistake, yes this is a mistake and this is the action we are going to take. At least that inspires confidence in your performance,” the bench told the NTA's counsel.

Stressing on timely action by the authority, the top court said the pleas would come up for hearing on July 8 along with other pending petitions, including those which have sought a direction to conduct the exam afresh.

It said the NTA and the Centre would file their responses on these fresh petitions within two weeks.

Concerns over NEET exam

While hearing separate petitions raising grievances over the NEET-UG 2024, the apex court had last week sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in the exam.

The Centre and the NTA had on June 13 told the top court that they had cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses.

They will have the option to either take a retest or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for the loss of time, the Centre had said.

The NEET-UG exam, the primary entry test for undergraduate medical courses in India, was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres in 571 cities nationwide. The results were released on June 4.

After the results came out, parents and teachers raised their concerns over the grace marks granted to 1,563 students. There have also been allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the prestigious exam.

AAP protest at Jantar Mantar

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders gathered at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest against the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj demanded that a Supreme Court monitored probe be initiated into the matter. “There are 24 lakh students, who appeared in the NEET exam. They prepared for 16 to 18 hours for the exam. Never before have people heard that someone paid a bribe to ace the exam,” he said.

Bharadwaj cited the example of Bihar where some aspirants received the exam's question paper and answers in a ‘safe house’ near Patna a day before it was conducted on May 5.

“Some students have approached the Supreme Court. We want that a committee be set up to probe the matter and it should be monitored by the apex court,” he added.

(With agency inputs)