Supreme Court to Hear NEET-UG 2024 'Paper Leak' Petitions Today: Centre's Affidavit Oppose Retest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear a batch of petitions regarding the alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 today. This hearing comes a day after the Union government submitted a fresh affidavit firmly opposing the demand for a re-test. The government cited a comprehensive report from IIT-Madras, which refutes allegations of widespread malpractices or illicit benefits to candidates at select centres.

The NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), serves as the entrance examination for MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. The NEET-UG 2024 exam, held on May 5, has been marred by controversies regarding paper leaks and allegations of some students being provided grace marks.

During the last hearing, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud acknowledged the compromise in the examination and listed the matter for July 11. The bench noted, “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 Supreme Court had also ordered the NTA to disclose the timeline and details of the paper leak and requested the central government to submit affidavits detailing their actions. Additionally, the court sought a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the NEET-UG examination.

In its affidavit, the Centre stated there was no indication of "mass malpractice" nor a localised set of candidates benefiting, leading to abnormal scores in NEET-UG 2024. The Union government cited data analytics conducted by IIT-Madras, indicating that the marks distribution followed the “bell-shaped curve” typical of any large-scale examination, showing no abnormalities. The affidavit also outlined the measures taken to ensure the examination's integrity and address any malpractices.

The NTA, in its affidavit, reported that only 47 candidates are suspected of engaging in paper leaks and irregularities relating to OMR sheets. The agency is considering shifting the examination mode from OMR (pen and paper) to online tests. The NTA plans to rely on the IIT-Madras report during today's proceedings.

In a related development, the CBI arrested two more individuals from Patna in connection with the alleged paper leak case. This brings the total number of arrests to eight, with individuals apprehended from Bihar and Jharkhand.

As the Supreme Court hears the petitions today, NEET aspirants and educational stakeholders await the court's decision, which could significantly impact the future of the examination process and the careers of millions of students.