NEW DELHI, June 14: In a significant development amidst the ongoing controversy over the NEET-UG examination, the Supreme Court on Friday requested responses from the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding a plea for a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Centre, the NTA, the CBI, and the Bihar Government, directing them to respond within two weeks. The pleas, including a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Hiten Singh Kashyap, will be considered alongside other pending cases on July 8, when the Supreme Court resumes after its summer recess.
During a brief hearing, the bench admonished a lawyer for referencing student suicides in Kota, Rajasthan, a hub of coaching centres, to support his argument for a CBI probe. “Don’t make unnecessary emotional arguments here,” Justice Nath remarked.
The bench emphasized the importance of a response from the NTA before any order could be issued. “It is the future of 24 lakh students,” the lawyer argued. The bench responded, “We understand. We are conscious of all that.”
On Thursday, the Centre and the NTA informed the Supreme Court that they had annulled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates who sat for the exam. These candidates will have the option to retake the exam or forgo the compensatory marks previously awarded for the loss of time.
The NEET-UG examination, conducted on May 5 at approximately 4,750 centres, saw around 24 lakh candidates participating. Originally slated for a June 14 result announcement, the results were declared on June 4 due to the early completion of answer sheet evaluations.
Allegations of question paper leaks, particularly in Bihar, have sparked protests in several cities and led to legal challenges in seven high courts as well as the Supreme Court. On June 10, numerous students demonstrated in Delhi, demanding an investigation into the purported irregularities.
The examination’s integrity has come under scrutiny, with suspicions of malpractice arising after an unprecedented 67 students scored a perfect 720, including six from a single centre in Faridabad, Haryana. It is alleged that grace marks contributed to these high scores.
The NEET-UG exam, conducted by the NTA, is a crucial gateway for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions across India.
