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Delhi HC Second Hearing on NEET 2024 ControversyThe Delhi High Court concluded the second hearing on the alleged paper leak of the NEET UG 2024 question paper on June 12, 2024. The major highlights of the court hearing can be checked below.
Outcome of June 12, 2024, Delhi High Court Hearing on NEET 2024 Controversy
- Solicitor General (SG) - Tushar Mehta, informed the court that multiple writ petitions regarding the examination have been filed in various courts, including the Supreme Court.
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He stated that the issues raised in these petitions broadly fall into three categories:
~Awarding of compensatory or grace marks
~Anomalies in certain questions
~Alleged paper leak - SG Tushar Mehta further noted that the NTA is in the process of filing a transfer plea before the Supreme Court to consolidate all related petitions for a unified hearing.
- In response, the Delhi High Court issued notices on the fresh petitions and scheduled them for hearing before the Roster Bench on July 5.
NTA strategically announced the NEET UG 2024 results on June 4, 2024, the same day when the Lok Sabha Election result was declared. Whether it was done to avert all attention or was a mere coincidence, is something that we’ll leave to the reader’s discretion.
The NEET UG 2024 exam was scarred by allegations of a planned paper leak, suggesting a compromise. This was primarily due to the fact that a record 67 students scored a perfect score i.e., 720/720 from various coaching centres across India. So much so that 21 students from Aakash Coaching secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 with a perfect score of 720 out of 720! In addition, six students from Haryana have seat numbers from the same sequence, suggesting that all of them are from the same exam centre!
What is the NEET UG 2024 Controversy?
- Paper Leak Allegations: As soon as the NEET UG 2024 exam result was out, the number of students who achieved a perfect score of 720/720 led students to believe that the NEET UG paper was leaked to select centres/ students.
- NTA denies paper leak allegations
- Grace Marks Controversy: Some students appearing for the NEET UG exam experienced timeloss because incorrect question paper and/ or torn OMR sheets were distributed. NTA awarded grace marks to such students. Amid questioning of the fairness of this, the decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
- High Scores: Many students from a coaching centre achieved a perfect score of 720/720, which has happened for the first time in the history of NEET and has been questioned.
- NTA set up a review committee headed by a former UPSC chairman.
- Committee Recommendations: The committee recommended revisions for the affected candidates, which NTA accepted & revised the results accordingly.
- Student Suicides: Following NEET UG 2024 result, news of NEET students committing suicide has sparked widespread concern and outrage. For the uninitiated, this is a year on year phenomenon.
- Government Response: Amid high pressure and with reputation at stake, the government has set up a committee in the Supreme Court to review the grievances of 1,600 students who appeared for NEET UG 2024, but the committee is yet to announce any ruling on this front.
Supreme Court Hearing Updates on NEET UG 2024
- Petitions Filed: Numerous petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, including one by Shivangi Mishra and nine others on June 1, 2024, seeking cancellation of the NEET UG 2024 exam and holding of a re-exam.
- Supreme Court Notice: The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) on June 11, 2024, regarding a petition seeking the cancellation of the NEET UG 2024 exam and suggesting a re-exam. To be noted here is the fact that the Supreme Court has not paused the counselling process for NEET UG despite it acknowledging the compromise.
- Delhi High Court Hearing: The Delhi High Court was supposed to hear a plea challenging the NTA's NEET UG grace marks policy decision on June 12, 2024.
- Fresh Petition: A writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution has been filed in the Supreme Court to recall the NEET UG 2024 results and re-conduct a fresh examination alleging inconsistencies in the NEET (UG) 2024 paper specifically around Question No. 29 in Test Booklet Code R5, where the final answer key, released on June 3, reportedly listed two correct answers. This contradicts the instructions given in the examination booklet, which clearly stated that only one option could be correct for each multiple-choice question in Section A. The petitioner further alleged that this inconsistency has resulted in arbitrary and unfair grace marks, adversely affecting the ranks of students who did not benefit from this decision as it could cause a rank difference of approximately 20,000 places, potentially impacting the future prospects of many candidates!
With so much controversy surrounding one of India’s most important & popular exams, we can’t help but question the intent & objectivity of the exam creators, in this case, the National Testing Agency. If the exam was indeed rigged according to the claims, the credibility of India’s medical professionals will go into jeopardy & put millions of lives at stake!
