NEET UG 2024: In a key verdict on August 2, all controversies linked to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test -Undergraduate 2024 were laid to rest. The court upheld a recent paper leak as a concern but localized it in the regions of Patna and Hazaribagh and found no systemic failure in the overall conduct of the exam.
Supreme Court Addresses NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak Issue
The judgment by the Supreme Court came on a series of blunders blotted by the NTA. More than 1,500 students got improper question papers, on account of which the NTA decided first to give grace marks, and later ordered a retest. The court denounced this erratic approach and called for a comprehensive reworking of the examination process.
The Centre has been directed by the court to constitute an Expert Committee in a bid to overhaul procedures of the examination that it presides over. By September 30, the committee should be making recommendations to the same, while by October 30, decisions by the Centre on the overhauled procedure should be integrated.
Enhancing Paper Handling and Transportation
Some of the recommendations made by the court include more stringent controls over the printing and handling of question papers, the stopping of using e-rickshaws for the transportation of papers, audits, and surprise checks, and implementation of stricter identification norms for the candidate.
In a related development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first chargesheet against 13 accused in the NEET UG examination paper leakage case. The chargesheet has claimed that prima facie 13 people have been involved in criminal conspiracy, cheating, and destruction of evidence. In the eyes of the judiciary, the intervention also stands as a reason for urgent and serious reforms in the examination system to restore the credibility of the NEET-UG examination.