The Supreme Court on Friday elaborated on its July 23 verdict of ruling out cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 stating that there was 'no systemic breach' and also confirmed that the leak was confined to Patna and Hazaribagh only. The apex court urged the National Testing Agency (NTA) to avoid 'flip-flops' in the future.
The court mentioned that such 'flip-flops' or inconsistencies in a national exam like NEET UG do not serve the stud▨ents' interests. “We cannot😼 afford this for the betterment of the students,” said SC.
On July 23, the top court dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidencꦐe on record to conclude that it was "vitiated" on account of "systemic breach" of its sanctity.
The top court, while pronouncing the order, sai𓆏d its d𒁃etailed reasons would follow.
In its judgment on Friday, the Supreme Court highlighted significant deficiencies in the NTA's str🔯uctural processes and emphasized the need for immediate corrections to improve the examination system for stud🔜ents.
The Court has set a deadline of September 30 for a report from a panel led by former ISRO chief K. ౠRadhakrishnan, tasked with addres♉sing these issues.
The Supreme Court has also expanded the scope of the panel led by Radhakrishnan to include a🎶 comprehensive review of the NTA's operations and to recommend reforms for the examination proce❀ss.
The committee will also work on 💜developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for technological improvements, enhancing c▨ybersecurity, improving identity verification methods, and ensuring better CCTV monitoring at exam centers.
Advocate Shwetank Sailakwal elaborated on the SC v📖erdict to the media, "Supreme Court has laid down various guidelines regarding paper leak. The🔯 court has taken note of the paper leak which happened in Hazaribagh and Patna, and a committee was also formed."
"Supreme Court has directed the committee to incorporate all those points which have been laid down in the judgment. SC directed that you have to take care of the travelling of the paper, CCTV cameras have to be installed and impersonation may not happen. They also directed the committee to submit the report before the Supreme𓆏 Court. The𝓰 time granted to the committee was two months, which has been extended by some time," he added.
The interim verdict benefitted the troubled NDA government and the NTA, which ൲had been heavily criticized and faced p✅rotests both on the streets and in Parliament.
The criticism was due to claims of widespr👍ead problems such as question paper leaks, fraud, and impersonation in the NEET-UG test held on🤪 May 5.
Over 23 lakh students gave the National E꧃ligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) in 2024 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses.
