NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak Hearing Today: Centre’s Affidavit Submitted; Will Supreme Court Order a Re-Test?

The Supreme Court will hear a series of petitions on Thursday, July 11, concerning the alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024. This comes a day after the Union government submitted a new affidavit, strongly opposing the call for a re-test. The affidavit included a detailed report from IIT-Madras, which refutes claims of widespread malpractices or unfair advantages at certain exam centers.

More than 40 petitions are scheduled for the Supreme Court’s consideration.

During the previous hearing on the NEET-UG 2024 case, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud heard several pleas and set the next hearing for July 11.

The NEET-UG, administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA), serves as the entrance exam for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses in both government and private institutions across the country. The NEET-UG 2024 exam, conducted on May 5, was embroiled in controversies over paper leaks and the provision of grace marks to some students.

In its July 8 hearing, the Supreme Court directed the NTA to disclose details about the timing and circumstances of the question paper leak. The court also instructed the central government to submit affidavits outlining their actions and requested a status report from the CBI regarding the NEET-UG examination. The court acknowledged that the integrity of the exam had been compromised.

“The fact that the sanctity of the exam has been compromised is beyond doubt. It is an admitted fact that there is a leak, and the nature of the leak is something that we are determining. If it is not extensive, then there is no cancellation. But before we order a retest, we must be conscious of the extent of the leak as we are dealing with 23 lakh students,” the three-judge bench stated.

The Centre’s affidavit, submitted on Wednesday, asserted there was no evidence of “mass malpractice” or localized benefit leading to abnormal scores in NEET-UG 2024. The affidavit referenced IIT-Madras’s data analytics, which indicated that the marks distribution followed a typical “bell-shaped curve,” suggesting no irregularities.

The Union government’s affidavit also detailed the steps taken to maintain the exam’s integrity and address any malpractices.

The NTA, in its affidavit, stated that only 47 candidates were suspected of involvement in paper leaks and irregularities with OMR sheets. The NTA is considering switching the exam format from OMR (pen and paper) to online tests. It also plans to rely on the IIT-Madras report during Thursday’s proceedings.

In related developments, the CBI arrested two more individuals from Patna on Tuesday in connection with the paper leak case. Sunny Kumar, a NEET-UG candidate, was arrested from Nalanda, and Ranjit Kumar, another candidate’s father, was arrested from Gaya. To date, the investigation has led to the arrest of eight individuals from Bihar and Jharkhand.