The Supreme Court, in its August 2 order, stated that there was insufficient evidence to suggest any systemic leak or malpractice that could undermine the integrity of the examination.
NEW DELHI: A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court seeking a review of its decision that denied the request to hold NEET-UG 2024 again.
The review petition, filed by Kajal Kumari, requests the court to reconsider its earlier decision.
The Supreme Court, in its August 2 order, stated that there was insufficient evidence to suggest any systemic leak or malpractice that could undermine the integrity of the examination.
On July 23, 2024, the Court refused to cancel the NEET-UG, 2024 and said that cancellation would not be justified. The Bench, after a long hearing, observed that there is the absence of material on record to lead to the conclusion that the result of the exam is vitiated or that there is a systemic breach of the sanctity of the exam.
The Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra ordered,
“The Principle issue which the court was concerned with in this case is whether the sanctity of the NEET was compromised this year and whether the process should be scrapped and a fresh test should be convened. Having answered the question in above terms that is in a negative that it has not affected the entire country, it needs to be clarified that any students having individual grievances it would be open to them to pursue their rights and remedies in accordance with law…We have come to the conclusion that there was no systemic breach of the sanctity of exam, on the basis of material before us at this stage and the leak was only limited to Patna and Hazaribagh.”
Chief Justice of India (CJI) remarked,
“So we’ve got the neat order now ready. I just Read out the judgement’s just a few parts. I have a lot more to read out but then I think I shouldn’t take everybody’s time.”
The Supreme Court also broadened the mandate of the K. Radhakrishnan expert committee, which was established by the government to address issues such as NEET-UG paper leaks and other irregularities. The committee has been tasked with implementing seven key measures to strengthen the examination process.
These include forming an evaluation committee, creating a Standard Operating Procedure, reviewing the process for assigning exam centers, enhancing identity verification processes, implementing CCTV monitoring at exam centers, securing logistics to prevent paper tampering, and establishing a robust grievance redressal mechanism.
The panel has been tasked with submitting its report by September 30, focusing on measures to address deficiencies in the examination system.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) suggested that the feasibility of using closed vehicles with real-time locks, rather than open e-rickshaws, should be considered for transporting exam materials.
The purpose of these directives is to prevent and detect any malpractice during the exam process. The Supreme Court emphasized that the expert committee must address the deficiencies in the exam system. Additionally, it noted that if any student has a personal grievance unrelated to the issues resolved in the judgment, they are free to approach the respective High Courts.
The Court reiterated that its conclusion was based on the lack of a systemic breach, with any leaks being limited to the Patna and Hazaribagh areas.
The Supreme Court directed the NTA to address all concerns raised in its judgment and requested the seven-member committee to consider these issues in their recommendations.
Over 2.3 million students participated in the NEET-UG 2024 held on May 5 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses.
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