The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) (undergraduate) 2024, has informed the Supreme Court that a central piece of evidence to show that a mass paper leak had happened a day prior to the exam on May 5, was edited to create a “false impression of an early leak”.
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NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) (undergraduate) 2024, has submitted information to the Supreme Court regarding allegations of a mass paper leak that supposedly occurred a day before the exam on May 5.
The NTA’s affidavit contends that a central piece of evidence, intended to demonstrate an early leak, was edited to create a
“false impression of an early leak.”
According to the affidavit, the video in question purportedly shows a photo of the exam paper leaked on Telegram on May 4. However,
“one image, which was edited, displays a timestamp of 17:40 P.M. on May 5, 2024.”
The NTA further clarifies,
“Additionally, discussions within the Telegram channel indicate that members identified the video as fake. The timestamp was manipulated to create a false impression of an early leak.”
The NTA argues that social media comments and discussions support the claim that the video’s images were altered and the date was purposely changed to suggest a May 4 leak.
“The screenshots highlight the fabricated nature of the claims made in the video…A neutral third party posted a video demonstrating how the date on the examination could be edited to show May 4 instead of the actual date,”
-reads the NTA’s reply.
In its affidavit, the NTA also reports that 153 cases of unfair means have been documented and reviewed by a dedicated committee, which provided recommendations for appropriate actions. According to the affidavit, the committee proposed withholding the results of 81 candidates and debarring 54 candidates for up to three years.
Reaffirming its stance on the absence of leaks in the controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Supreme Court that no question paper was reported missing and no breaches were found in Patna.
“Neither question paper found missing, nor locks were broken.”
-Centre informed SC
Consequently, 16 FIRs have been registered in connection with NEET (UG) 2024.
The NTA has also refuted claims of paper leaks in Patna and Sawai Madhopur. Additionally, the agency addressed the petitioners’ submission regarding 67 students scoring a perfect score of 720/720. The NTA clarified that:
- Out of 67 students, 6 scored 720 due to grace marks. Once the grace marks were annulled and a retest conducted, they could not achieve 720/720, reducing the actual number to 61.
- Out of these 61 candidates, only 17 obtained 720/720 marks based on Provisional Answer Keys, while 44 achieved perfect scores due to a revision in one Physics Answer Key.
- These 44 candidates, who initially selected an incorrect option and scored 715 marks, secured 720 marks after the revision. Thus, only 17 candidates achieved perfect scores without the revision, which is not significantly higher than in previous years.
- For the year 2024, the syllabus was reduced by approximately 22-25% based on recommendations from a committee representing around 32 different school boards.
The NTA also analyzed the results of the top 100 candidates, who are distributed across 95 centers located in 56 cities within 18 states/UTs of the country.
“This diverse distribution highlights the widespread participation and competitive spirit among students from different regions and educational backgrounds,”
-NTA stated.
The Supreme Court, in an earlier session in July, asserted that there was no doubt that NEET-UG held on May 5 was compromised by a question paper leak.
The Court directed the NTA to detail the steps taken to identify beneficiaries of the leak, the centers/cities where the leak occurred, and the procedures followed to identify those who benefited.
The present affidavit has been filed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives. The Court is currently handling multiple petitions concerning alleged irregularities, including claims of mass question paper leaks, in the conduct of this year’s NEET-UG exam.
On June 11, the Supreme Court instructed the NTA to respond to several petitions but did not halt the counselling for admissions of students to medical colleges. Both the Central government and the NTA had previously argued that there was no need to cancel the exam or conduct a re-examination, as there was no evidence of widespread confidentiality breaches.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for Today- July 11.
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