On Thursday, the Supreme Court reviewed multiple petitions calling for a re-test or cancellation of the 2024 NEET-UG exam amid allegations of leaked question papers and erroneously awarded grace marks.
During the session, a report by IIT Madras was presented, analyzing candidates’ scores and finding no irregularities in mark distribution. However, the focus shifted post-lunch to the security protocols surrounding the transportation of the allegedly leaked papers.
Senior advocate Narender Hooda, representing the petitioners, highlighted concerns about the chain of custody. He mentioned that the NEET-UG question papers were sent to centers on April 24 via a private courier. He cited a CBI report suggesting a leak in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, where a trunk of papers was reportedly found on an e-rickshaw.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, refuted claims of a leak, emphasizing a robust seven-layer security system. The court queried using a private courier, to which Mehta deferred his response.
The court emphasized that a re-test would only be ordered if the exam’s integrity was compromised on a large scale. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stressed the need to demonstrate that the leak systematically affected the entire NEET-UG examination.
The NTA’s analysis indicated no abnormality, but Hooda argued that the analysis should focus on the 1.08 lakh students who passed rather than the 24 lakh examinees. He also demanded the release of data for the top 100 ranks to check for anomalies.
The controversy arose last month with allegations of a leaked question paper orchestrated by a national ‘solver gang’ network. The unusually high number of perfect scores and the award of grace marks to 1,563 students raised further suspicions.
The CBI is investigating, with six cases filed and nine arrests, including ringleader Rakesh Ranjan. Despite the IIT Madras analysis indicating no mass malpractice, the case unfolds in court.
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