NEET Exam Controversy: Supreme Court’s Urgent Directive

NEET Exam Controversy: Supreme Court Urges NTA to Address Flaws

The Supreme Court of India has made a significant pronouncement regarding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) – UG, amid ongoing controversies surrounding the exam. Despite the uproar over alleged paper leaks, the court has upheld the exam’s validity but has highlighted several issues needing urgent rectification.

Supreme Court’s Ruling on NEET-UG

On Friday, the Supreme Court clarified its decision to uphold the NEET-UG exam, despite numerous allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. The court acknowledged the controversies but determined there was insufficient evidence to prove that the leak compromised the entire exam’s integrity.

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Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, leading the three-judge bench, emphasized that the National Testing Agency (NTA) must avoid repeated mistakes. “These flip-flops in the NTA do not serve the interest of the students,” remarked Chief Justice Chandrachud. The court’s focus is now on ensuring that such issues do not recur.

NTA’s Lapses and Areas of Concern

The Supreme Court criticized the NTA for several lapses, including:

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Allowing candidates to change exam centers, which was deemed a potential security risk.
Opening a “rear door” for new registrations, which raised concerns about exam integrity.
Awarding grace marks to 1,563 students who received the wrong question paper, a decision later retracted, leading to a re-test for these students.

Expert Committee’s Directions

The court has directed an expert committee, formed on June 22, 2024, to examine and improve the NEET exam process. The committee is tasked with:

Evaluating and enhancing the security measures for the exam.
Formulating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the registration timeline, exam center changes, and OMR sheet handling.
Preparing a comprehensive report by September 30, 2024.

Following this, the Ministry of Education will implement the recommended changes within a month and report back to the court.

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CBI’s Charge Sheet in Paper Leak Case

On August 1, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first charge sheet in the alleged NEET paper leak case. The charge sheet names 13 individuals accused of involvement in the paper leak and related irregularities. The CBI has filed six FIRs as part of its investigation into the matter.