NEET-UG 2024: 'Paper solved in 45 minutes before exam?', SC asks Centre

NEET-UG update: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, said an individual photographed the exam papers at a centre in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh between 8 am and 9:20 am on the exam day

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard petitions calling for either a retest or the cancellation of the 2024 NEET-UG. The apex court expressed concerns regarding the stance of the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), particularly their assertion that the paper leak occurred just 45 minutes before the exam began at certain centres.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the National Testing Agency (NTA), said that the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed that an individual photographed the exam papers at a centre in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh between 8 am and 9:20 am on the exam day. The CBI is currently investigating this matter.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud questioned whether all 180 questions could realistically be solved in 45 minutes, considering the exam began at 10:15 am. In response, Mehta explained that the questions were divided among seven gang members.

"The whole hypothesis that within 45 minutes there was a breach and the entire paper was solved and given to students seems very far-fetched," Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

The students who reportedly paid the gang received the solved question papers and were given the answers to memorise.

Initially, the bench, which included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, stated that it had prioritised the hearing of these petitions over other cases due to their "social ramifications," affecting thousands of students awaiting the verdict.

Following a day of arguments, the next hearing was scheduled for July 22.

NEET-UG 2024: NTA dismisses paper leak allegations

Senior advocate Narender Hooda, representing some petitioners, demanded the cancellation of NEET-UG 2024, citing a "systemic failure" in its administration.

Hooda alleged that the transportation of question papers had been compromised, with the papers remaining in the custody of a private courier company for six days in Hazaribagh. He further claimed that the papers were transported to an exam centre in an e-rickshaw, and the principal of this centre was later arrested for alleged involvement in the racket.

However, Solicitor General Mehta dismissed any allegations of a NEET-UG 2024 paper leak, stating that the CBI had thoroughly investigated the entire chain "from printer to centre".

He told the court, "How the sealing happened... how GPS tracking happened... There is a seven-layer security system."

The top court then asked Mehta, "Solicitor, did you engage a private courier company to dispatch the NEET papers?" The Solicitor General deferred his reply to a later stage.

Concerns about transportation were highlighted after the CBI suggested that the leak might have occurred either during the transportation of the papers to centres or after they arrived at a school in Hazaribagh.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court emphasised that it would mandate a re-test for NEET-UG 2024 only if the "sanctity" of the exam was significantly compromised due to leaked questions.

Publish seat matrix by July 20: MCC tells medical colleges

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has instructed institutions to publish their available seats for 2024 NEET-UG counselling on the official MCC website. The MCC has set a deadline of July 20 for this disclosure, which can be accessed at the MCC website.

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.”