The Supreme Court has sought a response from the National Testing Authority (NTA) on a petition seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 examination following allegations of wide-spread irregularities in the all-India test for admissions to medical colleges.
“The sanctity of the exam has been affected, so we need answers,” a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said on June 11. The court, however, refused to stay the counselling and adjourned the case to July 8.
Tasked with conducting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test(NEET), the NTA is facing scrutiny after students alleged irregularities and demanded the exam be scrapped.
The petition, filed on June 1, stems from a Bihar police investigation into the alleged paper leak for the test, which sees lakhs of students fight it out over a few thousand seats.
When the test result was declared on June 4, it added to the trouble. As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720 score, with six from the same examination centre, raising suspicions of irregularities.
On June 10, scores of students protested in Delhi, demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities.
NTA is under fire for over grace marks and alleged mishandling of the examination.
The education ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates. Students have alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
Avijit Ghosh, vice president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, called for an independent and transparent investigation to safeguard the integrity of the entrance exam system.
Several parties have raised concerns if NEET, which has in the past faced resistance in states like Tamil Nadu, is compromised.
Also read: NEET UG Result Controversy Explained.
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