The Central government has informed the Supreme Court that, in the absence of any substantial evidence indicating a large-scale breach of confidentiality in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it would be irrational to cancel the entire exam. The Ministry of Education emphasized that scrapping the exam, held on May 5, 2024, would severely disadvantage the numerous honest candidates who took the test.
The Ministry stated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been tasked with investigating the alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, and breach of trust. In its affidavit, the Ministry asserted that the rights and interests of the vast majority of students who took the exam fairly should not be compromised due to allegations against a few.
The affidavit reiterated the Union of India’s commitment to conducting all competitive exams in a fair and transparent manner. It acknowledged the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of question papers and promised strict action against those found guilty of compromising this confidentiality.
The Center’s affidavit was in response to several petitions before the Supreme Court seeking to recall the NEET-UG 2024 results and conduct a fresh examination due to allegations of paper leakage and malpractice. The Supreme Court has already refused to stay the counseling process for NEET-UG 2024 and will hear the cases on July 8.
The Ministry argued that the petitions’ demands for canceling the exam and conducting a re-test were based on speculation and should be dismissed. It also mentioned that a high-level committee has been formed to recommend measures for the effective, smooth, and transparent conduct of exams by the National Testing Agency (NTA). This committee is currently deliberating and has invited public suggestions for reform measures.
The NTA also filed an affidavit opposing the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam, stating that the alleged malpractices were confined to centers in Patna and Godhra. It argued that these isolated instances should not lead to the cancellation of the entire exam, as the integrity of NEET-UG cannot be undermined by a few isolated cases. The NTA emphasized that the large number of candidates who were not involved in any malpractice should not be unfairly penalized by a complete re-conduct of the examination.
The Supreme Court had earlier advised the Centre and the NTA to thoroughly address any negligence in the conduct of the NEET-UG exam. NEET-UG is the gateway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in both government and private institutions across India
