“Canceling the entire examination process without concrete reasons would be highly detrimental to the larger public interest, affecting the academic careers of lakhs of students,” NTA stated
NEW DELHI: On 5th July: The National Testing Agency (NTA) opposed the cancellation of the NEET UG exam, arguing before the Supreme Court that alleged malpractices occurred solely at the Patna and Godhra exam centres. The agency maintained that invalidating the entire exam based on these isolated incidents would be unwarranted.
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This opposition followed the Centre’s challenge to the plea for the medical entrance exam’s cancellation in its affidavit.
In a detailed 97-page affidavit, the NTA refuted claims that high-scoring candidates were clustered at specific centres. The agency explained that it had withheld the results of students involved in malpractices, issued show-cause notices, and initiated penal actions and debarment procedures.
The NTA stressed that the isolated incidents of unfair means and paper leaks did not compromise the exam’s “integrity and sanctity.”
“Canceling the entire examination process without concrete reasons would be highly detrimental to the larger public interest, affecting the academic careers of lakhs of students,”
the affidavit stated.
Ensuring Proper Checks and Balances Given the high stakes of the NEET (UG) 2024 exam, the NTA employed Aadhaar authentication at exam centres to prevent malpractices like impersonation. The agency noted that a definitive conclusion on systematic failure could only be drawn after thoroughly considering all relevant factors.
The NTA detailed the stringent process of selecting examination centres, highlighting the assessment of logistical and infrastructural facilities, security measures, the agency’s experience in conducting competitive exams, and accessibility for PwD candidates.
The NTA described the secure process of preparing question papers by qualified subject experts within its premises. These experts do not know if their questions will be included in any specific exam. Printing is done at confidential, NTA-authorized printing presses. Two sets of question papers are prepared, with only one set being used, and the questions are randomly sequenced.
The NTA reported that the NEET-UG 2024 exam was conducted for 23 lakh students at 4,750 centres in 571 cities. Performance analysis indicated no abnormal scores at any particular centre, with results aligning with national averages. The agency argued that the alleged malpractices involved only a tiny number of candidates and that cancelling the entire exam would be counterproductive and detrimental to the larger public interest and the career prospects of qualified candidates.
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“It is also submitted that, in the absence of any proof of a large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared,” the Centre stated in its preliminary affidavit filed by a director in the Ministry of Education.
“Scrapping the exam in its entirety would seriously jeopardize the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024,”
the ministry added.
The Centre noted that in any examination, there are competing rights, and the interests of the large number of students who take it without adopting unfair means must also be protected.
The NTA, in its separate affidavit, reiterated the Centre’s position, stating:
“The cancellation of the entire examination on the basis of the aforesaid factor would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest, especially to the career prospects of the qualified candidates.”
The agency asserted that the NEET-UG 2024 exam was conducted fairly and with due confidentiality, without any illegal practices. The claim of “mass malpractice” during the exam is “completely unfounded, misleading, and lacks any basis.”
“It is submitted that canceling the entire examination process without any tangible factors warranting such action would be highly detrimental to the larger public interest, impacting the academic careers of lakhs of students who have attempted the examination fairly without any wrongdoing or even an allegation of wrongdoing,”
the NTA emphasized.
Godhra Centre Incident
The affidavit highlighted an incident at the Godhra centre, allegedly initiated by Deputy Superintendent Tushar Bhatt. The investigation, initially conducted by local police, has been handed over to the CBI. Arrests have been made, including those of the students involved.
The NTA stated that “DO” letters were issued by the Director General (NTA) to Chief Secretaries, DGPs of all States and UTs, and local authorities in March 2024. These letters sought guidance and support for specific security protocols to uphold the sanctity of the examination process.
“Therefore, while genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed, other requests merely based on conjectures and assumptions, without any factual basis, must be rejected to avoid causing unnecessary suffering and distress to honest examinees and their families,”
the ministry stated.
“It is respectfully submitted that the government is committed to ensuring the sanctity of examinations and protecting the interests of students. To guarantee transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examinations, Parliament enacted the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, on February 12, 2024,”
the statement read.
This affidavit precedes the Supreme Court hearing, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, on a batch of petitions related to the NEET UG exam case.
