New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that if the sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam is "lost" and if the leak of its question paper has spread through social media, then a new test should be ordered .
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also said that if the leak of the questionnaire took place through Telegram, WhatsApp and electronic media, then it "spreads like wildfire".
"One thing is clear: there has been a leak of the questionnaire," said the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
"If the sanctity of the examination is lost, then a new test must be ordered. If we cannot identify the culprits, then a new test must be ordered," the court observed, adding that if the leak spread through the social networks, then a new test should be ordered.
"Let's not dwell on what happened," he said, adding, "Assuming the government does not cancel the exam, what will it do to identify the beneficiaries of the question paper leak?"
The top court was hearing over 30 pleas related to the controversial NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking directions to conduct it again.
"There is no doubt that a leak of the questionnaire has taken place. We are ascertaining the extent of the leak," the court observed.
He said there were some "red flags" as 67 candidates had scored 720 out of 720.
"In previous years the proportion was very low," the court added.
The top court said it wanted to know how many people benefited from the questionnaire leak and what action the Center took against them.
"The results of how many wrongdoers have been withheld and we want to know the geographical distribution of such beneficiaries," he asked.
The court is also hearing a separate petition by over 50 successful Gujarat-based NEET-UG candidates seeking directions to stop the Center and the National Testing Agency (NTA) from canceling the controversy-ridden exam.
Lawyers representing a petitioner began the submissions by saying they were seeking cancellation of the exam on grounds such as paper leak, manipulation of OMR sheets, impersonation and cheating.
The Center and the NTA, which conducts NEET-UG, recently told the top court through their affidavits that scrapping the exam would be "counterproductive" and would "seriously endanger" thousands of honest candidates in the absence of any evidence of non-compliance. on a large scale of confidentiality.
The NTA and the Union Education Ministry have been at the center of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leaks to identity theft in the test held on May 5.
The NTA conducts the National Eligibility and Entrance Test for Undergraduate Degree (NEET-UG) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. Allegations of irregularities, including document leaks, have sparked protests in several cities and clashes between rival political parties.
On June 13, the Center and the NTA told the court that they canceled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates.
These candidates were given the option of retaking the exam or forgoing compensatory grades awarded for the loss of time.
The NTA announced the revised ranking list on July 1 after releasing the results of the retest conducted on June 23.
A total of 67 students scored a perfect score of 720, unprecedented in the history of NTA, and six from a center in Haryana were in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities in the exam. It has been alleged that the grace marks contributed to the 67 students sharing the top position.
The number of candidates sharing the top rank in the NEET-UG was reduced from 67 to 61 when the NTA announced the revised results on July 1.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud also said that if the leak of the questionnaire took place through Telegram, WhatsApp and electronic media, then it "spreads like wildfire".
"One thing is clear: there has been a leak of the questionnaire," said the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
"If the sanctity of the examination is lost, then a new test must be ordered. If we cannot identify the culprits, then a new test must be ordered," the court observed, adding that if the leak spread through the social networks, then a new test should be ordered.
"Let's not dwell on what happened," he said, adding, "Assuming the government does not cancel the exam, what will it do to identify the beneficiaries of the question paper leak?"
The top court was hearing over 30 pleas related to the controversial NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking directions to conduct it again.
"There is no doubt that a leak of the questionnaire has taken place. We are ascertaining the extent of the leak," the court observed.
He said there were some "red flags" as 67 candidates had scored 720 out of 720.
"In previous years the proportion was very low," the court added.
The top court said it wanted to know how many people benefited from the questionnaire leak and what action the Center took against them.
"The results of how many wrongdoers have been withheld and we want to know the geographical distribution of such beneficiaries," he asked.
The court is also hearing a separate petition by over 50 successful Gujarat-based NEET-UG candidates seeking directions to stop the Center and the National Testing Agency (NTA) from canceling the controversy-ridden exam.
Lawyers representing a petitioner began the submissions by saying they were seeking cancellation of the exam on grounds such as paper leak, manipulation of OMR sheets, impersonation and cheating.
The Center and the NTA, which conducts NEET-UG, recently told the top court through their affidavits that scrapping the exam would be "counterproductive" and would "seriously endanger" thousands of honest candidates in the absence of any evidence of non-compliance. on a large scale of confidentiality.
The NTA and the Union Education Ministry have been at the center of media debates and protests by students and political parties over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leaks to identity theft in the test held on May 5.
The NTA conducts the National Eligibility and Entrance Test for Undergraduate Degree (NEET-UG) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. Allegations of irregularities, including document leaks, have sparked protests in several cities and clashes between rival political parties.
On June 13, the Center and the NTA told the court that they canceled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates.
These candidates were given the option of retaking the exam or forgoing compensatory grades awarded for the loss of time.
The NTA announced the revised ranking list on July 1 after releasing the results of the retest conducted on June 23.
A total of 67 students scored a perfect score of 720, unprecedented in the history of NTA, and six from a center in Haryana were in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities in the exam. It has been alleged that the grace marks contributed to the 67 students sharing the top position.
The number of candidates sharing the top rank in the NEET-UG was reduced from 67 to 61 when the NTA announced the revised results on July 1.
