2 Answers, 1 Question: SC Asks IIT Delhi to Examine NEE-UG Physics Conundrum | Top Points

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Director of IIT-Delhi to form a team of three experts to examine a disputed question from the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The court's decision follows claims by some candidates that a question concerning an "atom" had two correct answers, leading to potential discrepancies in scoring.

Referring to the question, the bench said, “As indicated in the question as framed, of which students had to select one option as their answer. To resolve the issue as regards the correct answer, we are of the considered view that an expert opinion should be sought from IIT Delhi.”

“We request the Director of IIT Delhi to constitute a team of three experts of the subject concerned. The expert team constituted by the Director is requested to formulate the opinion on the correct option and remit the opinion to the Registrar by 12 noon tomorrow,” the bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said.

The bench further emphasised the need for expert analysis to determine the correct answer, given the significant impact this could have on the exam's final merit list. The experts are tasked with submitting their report by noon on July 23.

Key Rulings:

Expert Review Ordered: The court has mandated that IIT-Delhi's expert team submit their findings on the correct answer to the disputed question by noon on July 23.

Data Required from Petitioners: The bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, has asked the petitioners challenging the exam to provide data demonstrating whether there was a widespread systemic failure in the examination process. They must show that issues extended beyond isolated cases in Patna and Hazaribagh.

Response to Claims: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta countered the petitioners' claims of a nationwide systemic failure, arguing that isolated mistakes do not suggest a broader problem.

Earlier in the day, the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked the petitioners, who are seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024, to show there was a “systemic failure” in conducting the examination. It asked them to provide data to establish that the question paper leak was “widespread” and across the country.

Observing that there was no material on record so far to show that the leak was widespread, the bench said there have been instances of some wrongdoing in Patna and Hazaribagh but they were not sufficient to indicate a systemic failure. The top court also questioned the grant of grace marks and grace time to certain students at examination centres in Haryana's Jhajjar.

“Now show us the data. At the end of it, even if we assume that problems happened, we are looking at the whole country. Show us the data to say that it was widespread,” the bench said.

It asked senior advocate Narinder Hooda, appearing for some aspirants, to establish with the help of data made available by the National Testing Agency (NTA) that the leak was beyond Hazaribagh and Patna. “Show us as to how widespread is it. From CBI’s third report, we know where the printing press was located. We do not want to say the location here,” the CJI said.

The bench asked the NTA to give it a note on grant of grace marks and time to certain category of students in Jhajjar and other places where "wrong" question papers were distributed.

For the unversed, the Supreme Court is reviewing over 40 pleas, including requests to consolidate cases from various high courts. The NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), involved more than 23.33 lakh students across numerous centers.