The Supreme Court, in a recent hearing, cautioned against rushing into a re-test for the May 5 NEET-UG 2024 exam, which faced issues like leaked papers and the awarding of ‘grace marks’ to 1,563 students. The court highlighted concerns about the timing of the leak relative to the exam, suggesting that if leaked questions were only shared shortly before the exam, the impact might not have been widespread.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, leading a three-judge bench, expressed reluctance to order a re-test for the nearly 24 lakh students affected, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who may struggle with exam-related costs. The court emphasized that a re-test should be considered only as a last resort, underlining that the integrity of the exam had been compromised.
Supreme Court Debates NEET-UG 2024 Exam Cancellation
Today, the Supreme Court discussed the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam. They expressed concern because canceling the entire exam affects more than 23 lakh students across India who were hoping to get into medical colleges. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud pointed out that the exam’s fairness was compromised because some of the questions were leaked before the test.
Also Read: NTA Announces NEET Retest Results
NEET-UG 2024 Case Highlights
The following are the NEET-UG 2024 Case Highlights:
May 5: The NEET-UG 2024 exam took place at 4,750 centers across 571 cities, including 14 international locations.
May 17: The Supreme Court asked the Centre and NTA to respond to allegations of irregularities in the exam.
June 4: Results for NEET-UG 2024 were announced, with 67 candidates achieving top ranks.
June 11: The Supreme Court, noting potential issues with the exam’s integrity, asked for responses from the Centre and NTA regarding a petition for a retest due to alleged question paper leaks and other malpractices.
June 13: The Centre informed the Supreme Court that grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates were canceled. These candidates could either retake the exam or forgo the compensatory marks.
June 14: The Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and NTA regarding a petition requesting a CBI investigation into the alleged question paper leak.
June 18: The Supreme Court emphasized that even minimal negligence in conducting NEET-UG 2024 should be addressed thoroughly.
June 23: Out of the 1,563 candidates initially awarded grace marks, 813 retook the exam.
July 1: The number of top rankers was revised from 67 to 61 as the NTA declared updated results.
July 5: The Centre argued that completely canceling NEET-UG 2024 would jeopardize the futures of many honest students and lacked justification without evidence of widespread issues.
July 5: The NTA contended that canceling the exam would harm public interest and negatively impact the careers of successful candidates.
The Chief Justice stated, “The exam’s sanctity has been compromised due to leaked questions. We must determine the extent of the leak before considering a retest, as it involves the careers of many students.”
The Supreme Court indicated that a retest could be considered if there was a sufficient interval between the question leak and the exam date.
NEET-UG 2024 Case Highlights FAQs
Q.1. What is NEET-UG 2024?
Ans. NEET-UG 2024 is the national-level medical entrance exam conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India.
Q.2. What were the issues with NEET-UG 2024?
Ans. The exam faced allegations of leaked questions and the controversial awarding of grace marks to candidates.
Q.3. Why did the Supreme Court express reluctance towards a NEET re-test?
Ans. The court was concerned about the impact on economically disadvantaged students and emphasized that a re-test should be a last resort.
Q.4. How many candidates were initially awarded grace marks in NEET-UG 2024?
Ans. Initially, 1,563 candidates were given grace marks which were later canceled.
Q.5. What did the Supreme Court emphasize regarding the integrity of NEET-UG 2024?
Ans. The court stressed that even minor lapses in conducting the exam should be thoroughly addressed to maintain its integrity.
