Supreme Court Issues Notice on NTA's Transfer Petitions Regarding NEET-UG 2024 Cases

New Delhi: The Supreme Court  on Monday issued a notice in the transfer petitions filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) concerning the NEET-UG 2024 cases pending before the Rajasthan High Court.

A batch of writ petitions challenging the NEET examination was filed before the High Court. However, the NTA has sought the transfer of these petitions to the Supreme Court, where a similar batch of matters is already pending.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, agreed to issue the notice and tag the transfer petitions with the lead case, Vanishika Yadav v. Union of India, related to the ongoing NEET-UG controversy.

"Issue notice and tag," directed the CJI during the hearing.

Advocate Vardhaman Kaushik, representing the NTA, requested the Court to stay proceedings before the High Court. The CJI clarified that, procedurally, when the Supreme Court issues a notice in a Transfer Petition, the High Courts typically do not proceed with the matter.

"In transfer, the High Court normally doesn't proceed," stated the CJI.

The following petitions pending in the Rajasthan High Court have had notices issued:

1. National Testing Agency Versus Durgesh Raj And Ors. T.P.(C) No. 001741/2024
2. National Testing Agency Versus Tanuja Yadav T.P.(C) No. 1735/2024
3. National Testing Agency Versus Yashasvini And Ors. T.P.(C) No. 1730/2024
4. Aarushi Singh Versus National Testing Agency And Ors. W.P.(C) No. 449/2024
5. National Testing Agency Versus Anshu Choudhary T.P.(C) No. 1737/2024

These tagged petitions will now be heard together with the main batch on Thursday, July 18.

Notably, on June 14, the Supreme Court issued a similar notice for transfer petitions filed by the NTA. These involved pleas challenging the award of grace marks and the alleged paper leak concerning NEET, filed before the Delhi High Court. Subsequently, on June 20, the Court stayed proceedings in petitions filed in Rajasthan, Calcutta, and Bombay High Courts regarding the alleged paper leak in the NEET-UG 2024 exam and tagged those petitions with the main matter.

Notice was issued on May 17 in the lead petition titled Vanshika Yadav v. Union of India, seeking the re-conduct of NEET-UG 2024 due to alleged malpractices and paper leaks.

While the Supreme Court refused to stay the results of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, the bench, led by CJI DY Chandrachud, agreed to consider the matter post-summer vacations in July.

Several petitions have since been filed, alleging that the NEET-UG 2024 examination held on May 5 was compromised by malpractices and paper leaks. Additional pleas were raised against the 'arbitrary' grant of grace marks to 1,536 candidates, purportedly allowing 'back-door entry' for certain individuals.