New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) on a petition seeking the cancellation of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) exam held this year for the Under-Graduate (UG) Medical courses over an alleged paper leak.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah posted the matter on July 8 seeking a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The apex court also refused to stay the counselling process for admissions in MBBS, other courses for successful candidates.
“It is not that simple that because you have done it is sacrosanct. Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers,” Justice Amanullah told the counsel representing the NTA. “How much time you want? Immediately on the re-opening? Otherwise, the counselling will start,” Justice Amanullah told the NTA’s counsel.
The counsel for the NTA submitted that the petition be tagged along with an earlier petition on which notice was issued by a bench led by the Chief Justice of India on May 17. That petition is listed on July 8, he informed. The bench then posted the present petition along with the earlier petition which is listed on July 8.
The plea seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG exam was filed by Shivangi Mishra and nine other petitioners on June 1. The NEET results, announced on June 4, have been making headlines ever since, with various factors, including the grace marks policy, coming under scrutiny.
The controversy cropped up over the unusually high number of candidates scoring a perfect 720/720, and some receiving 718 or 719 marks, which many deem implausible within the exam’s framework. A total of 67 candidates achieved the top rank, compared to just two last year, and one or a few in previous years.
The writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution seeks to direct the National Testing Agency to conduct the exam again in view of the allegations of the paper leak. Raising doubts about the sanctity of the exam held on May 5, the petitioners seek the cancellation of the exam.
