(Click below..👇)

Home     Jobs     Syllabus     Old Question Papers     MCQs     Notifications     Results     Apply Jobs

Supreme Court Upholds Validity of NEET 2024 Amid Controversy

New Delhi, August 2, 2024 — In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India upheld the validity of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 for undergraduate medical admissions. This decision comes after extensive hearings on multiple writ petitions challenging the examination's integrity due to allegations of paper leaks and unfair practices.

Background and Allegations

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET 2024 on May 5, with over 23 lakh candidates participating across 571 cities, including 14 overseas locations. However, shortly after the examination, reports emerged that the question papers were leaked in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, and Patna, Bihar. This prompted the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) in multiple states and an investigation by the Bihar Police, later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Judicial Proceedings

Chief Justice Dr. Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, leading the bench, addressed the petitions seeking the cancellation of the examination and the conduct of a re-test. The petitioners highlighted systemic failures and argued that the integrity of the examination was compromised, affecting the future of millions of aspiring medical students.

Key Findings and Court's Reasoning

The Supreme Court meticulously reviewed the chain of custody of the question papers and the extent of the leaks. The judgment detailed the facts that emerged during the hearings, including the role of NTA and the effectiveness of its grievance redressal mechanism.

Significantly, the Court noted that while there was evidence of leaks in specific locations, there was insufficient proof to establish a widespread or systemic breach that would warrant a nationwide re-test. The Court emphasized that ordering a re-test would not be appropriate, given the massive scale of the examination and the potential social and economic impact on the candidates.

Recommendations and Future Measures

The Court directed the NTA to publish anonymized city-wise and center-wise results to maintain transparency. Furthermore, the Union Government was urged to consider constituting a multi-disciplinary committee of experts to recommend measures to prevent future breaches in NEET and other national examinations conducted by the NTA.

The judgment also included critical observations on the conduct of the NTA and highlighted the need for robust mechanisms to safeguard the examination process's integrity. The Court's parting remarks called for continued vigilance and proactive measures to ensure the credibility of competitive examinations in India.

Conclusion

This judgment reaffirms the Supreme Court's role in balancing the scales of justice, ensuring fairness to all stakeholders while maintaining the sanctity of national examinations. The NEET 2024 results will stand, and the examination process will continue as scheduled, bringing relief to millions of students and their families.