Scrapping NEET-UG not rational, will harm honest candidates: Centre to SC

The central government on Friday told the Supreme Court that scrapping the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG)-2024 examination would not be a rational step in the absence of proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality of the exam. The Centre added that such a move could “seriously jeopardise” lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the questions.

The submission was made amid the controversy surrounding the pan-India medical entrance examination following allegations of malpractices, mass question paper leaks, and cheating.

In its affidavit submitted in response to a batch of petitions filed by candidates, coaching institutes and parents of NEET-UG aspirants, the Union Education Ministry said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to conduct a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in conducting the exam last month.

“In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared,” the Centre stated in its affidavit.

“Scrapping the exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024,” it added.

The affidavit further said that confidentiality of question papers is of utmost priority in any examination. “...If due to some criminality at the behest of some elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt with sternly and with the full force of law to ensure that they are punished,” the Centre stated.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) also filed an affidavit in the apex court opposing cancellation of the NEET-UG exam. It said alleged malpractices were only in Patna and Godhra centres, and the entire exam should not be cancelled based on individual instances.

The medical entrance examination conducted by the NTA was taken by around 2.4 million students at 4,750 centres across the country. As many as 67 students had secured a perfect score of 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a single centre in Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about rigging.

“Certain cases of alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and malpractices have been reported in NEET-UG, which was conducted on May 5,” the ministry had said while handing over the case to the CBI last month.

The top court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of petitions, including those alleging irregularities in the examination and seeking a direction that it be held afresh. The petitions will be heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra.

NEET-PG exam on Aug 11

—The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBE) on Friday announced that it will conduct the NEET-PG-2024 exam on August 11 in two shifts

—The exam was earlier scheduled to be held on June 23. It was postponed a day before that by the Union Health Ministry as a “precautionary measure” in the wake of allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams

—More than 150,000 students had registered to appear for the test, which is taken by medical students to qualify for postgraduate medical courses
 

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