NEET 2024 row: Higher marks not due to 'systemic failure', NTA tells SC

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The National Testing Agency (NTA) responded to allegations of irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and other competitive exams by filing a new written statement before the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
 

In its statement to the top court, the NTA emphasised that the higher scores achieved by certain NEET exam candidates did not indicate ‘systemic failure’. The agency attributed the improved performance of aspirants to a reduction of nearly 25 per cent in the syllabus.

This action came ahead of a scheduled Thursday hearing where petitions will be presented requesting the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, conducted on May 5, due to alleged incidents of paper leaks and misconduct.

Addressing allegations surrounding videos on the Telegram app, the NTA denounced them as doctored, aimed at promoting a false narrative of paper leaks. Stressing the importance of merit, the NTA dismissed claims of NEET paper leaks in Patna and Sawai Madhopur, asserting ongoing efforts to identify and penalise students engaged in unfair practices.

Regarding concerns over the exam’s integrity, the NTA acknowledged the CBI’s investigation while clarifying that deserving candidates would not lose opportunities due to a rank-based selection process.

Previously, both the Centre and the NTA opposed calls for a re-test, arguing that localised malpractices did not compromise the overall integrity of the exam. Citing a data analytics report from IIT Madras, the Centre asserted that no systemic failures or widespread malpractice were indicated.

NEET-UG 2024: SC to hear pleas on retest today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions on Thursday regarding the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, conducted on May 5.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, will address the issue after 10.30 am.

During the hearing on July 8, the bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud requested responses from the Centre and the NTA regarding the extent of the alleged paper leak and the possibility of identifying those involved in malpractice.

The apex court indicated that if the integrity of the entire exam was compromised and distinguishing between beneficiaries of fraud and honest candidates was impractical, conducting a re-test might become necessary. It also said that a re-test would be a measure of last resort, given its potential impact on nearly 2.4 million students.

MCC asks medical institutes to publish seat matrix by July 20

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has directed institutions to publicly disclose their seat availability for NEET-UG counselling 2024 via its official website. According to the MCC, institutions are required to complete this disclosure by July 20, accessible through the MCC’s website at https://mcc.nic.in/.

In its official announcement, the MCC said, “Institutes participating in UG Counselling 2024 are hereby informed that the intra MCC portal for the contribution of UG seats is open now. Hence, institutes are requested to start entering their seats on the portal at the earliest so that the process of seat contribution can be completed timely.”