The Supreme Court commenced hearing on Monday more than 30 pleas related to the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking a direction to conduct it afresh.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is also hearing a separate plea of over 50 successful Gujarat-based NEET-UG candidates seeking a direction to restrain the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) from cancelling the controversy-ridden exam.
The lawyers representing a petitioner started the submissions, saying that they were seeking the cancellation of the exam on grounds such as paper leak, OMR sheet manipulation, impersonation and cheating.
Here are the live updates from the Supreme Court hearing on NEET:
"Let Us Not Be In Self-Denial": Supreme Court on NEET Row
"Let us not be in self-denial about what happened," it said, adding, "Assuming that 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 more than 30 pleas related to the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024, including those alleging irregularities and malpractices in the May 5 test and seeking a direction to conduct it afresh.
"There is no question that leak of question paper has taken place. We are determining the extent of the leak," the bench observed.
It said there were certain "red flags" as 67 candidates had scored 720 out of 720.
"In the previous years, the proportion was very low," the bench added.
"Re-Test Has To Be Ordered": Supreme Court On NEET
The Supreme Court said Monday that if the sanctity of the medical entrance exam NEET-UG 2024 is "lost" and if the leak of its question paper has been propagated through social media, then a re-test has to be ordered.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud also said if the question paper leak was taking place through Telegram, WhatsApp and electronic means, then "it spreads like wildfire".
"One thing is clear that leak of question paper has taken place," the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.
"If the sanctity of the exam is lost, then a re-test has to be ordered. If we are unable to identify those who are guilty, then a re-test has to be ordered," the bench observed, adding that if the leak was propagated through social media, then a re-test has to be ordered.
"Retest Our Last Option, Panel Must Probe Paper Leak": Supreme Court On NEET
The Supreme Court has slow-played demands for a re-test of the NEET-UG exam. The court acknowledged questions had been leaked - on social media and via popular messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp - at least 24 hours before the May 5 exam, but pointed to a lack of clarity over its spread. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud reasoned that ordering a re-test without understanding how many students had cheated would affect the lakhs who did not.
"How Many Wrongdoers Have Been Withheld?": Supreme Court On NEET Row
"Results of how many wrongdoers have been withheld, want to know geographical distribution of such beneficiaries," asks the Supreme Court.
"Determining Extent Of Leak": CJI Chandrachud
"No question that the question paper has been leaked, we are determining the extent of the leak," says CJI DY Chandrachud.
Petitioners Seek Re-Test
NEET UG Row: Students Demand NTA Abolition, Re-examination In Delhi
The protesters demanded a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the mismanagement of the NEET UG exam.
