The Supreme Court has settled a row over a question on atoms in NEET-UG Physics section
Over four lakh students who gave the NEET-UG exam will lose four marks after the Supreme Today ruled that only one correct answer from a set of four answers will be valid. A student had pointed out that "Question No. 29" of the Physics section had two correct answers - when it should have only one correct answer.
The students who will lose four marks include 44 who had scored a perfect 720/720.
The Supreme Court order came after a team of three experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi gave a report, putting to rest the question related to "atoms" and their characteristics.
The petitioner had pointed out this anomaly (two correct answers) to the Supreme Court during a hearing on Monday. The petitioner had said many who chose one of the two correct answers were given four marks.
The petitioner said before a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that such inconsistency would have had a significant impact on the final merit list of successful candidates.
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the IIT Delhi director to form a three-member team and respond with their suggestion by 12 pm on Tuesday.
"Regarding one question of Physics on atomic theory, marks shall not be given for two options, but only for one answer, which is option No. 4," the Supreme Court said today.
The court also dismissed a clutch of petitions seeking cancellation and retest of the medical entrance exam NEET UG 2024. Chief Justice Chandrachud said there was no data on record to indicate a systemic leak of question paper and other malpractices.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard submissions from a large number of lawyers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), and senior lawyers Narender Hooda, Sanjay Hegde and Mathews Nedumapra for nearly four days.
"There is absence of material to conclude that results of NEET UG 2024 exam is vitiated or there is a systemic breach," the Supreme Court said. The bench, however, said the fact that the question paper leak took place in Hazaribagh and Patna was not in dispute.
The NTA and the Union Education Ministry have been at the centre of a massive political row and protests by students over alleged large-scale malpractices ranging from question paper leaks to impersonation in the test held on May 5.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.