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The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Central Government, seeking their response to pleas for an investigation into alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024.
The petitioners, who appeared before a Vacation Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, urged the court to order a probe by a committee chaired by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge or an investigation agency.
The petitioners alleged that there was a growing demand, even within the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctors Network, for a CBI probe into the "record number of students scoring perfect scores". They also highlighted that the Opposition and other leaders of the country have demanded a probe into the NEET results.
The petition represented by Ms. Charu Mathur pointed out that there were irregularities like students receiving different marks on their scorecards compared to their OMR sheets, unprecedented inflation of cut-off and average marks resulted in an unprecedented 67 candidates achieving a perfect score of 720/720, six of these toppers were from the same exam centre in Haryana, students having scored 718 and 719 marks, which is "statistically questionable", and no disclosure of method/criteria adopted for grant of compensatory marks for loss of time, etc.
The court issued a formal notice to the NTA and the Centre, asking them to file their replies in two weeks. The petitions were scheduled for hearing on July 8, along with several others filed earlier.
The NTA has also separately approached the apex court to transfer petitions pending in various High Courts to the Supreme Court. The Bench issued notice in NTA's transfer petitions.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, the top court stood firm by its stand against changing the counselling date from July 6. A lawyer wanted it to be shifted to July 9, a day after the apex court hearing on July 8, but the court declined.
The NEET (UG) examination, which is under a cloud, was conducted by the NTA on May 5 at 4750 centres in 571 cities (including 14 cities abroad) for more than 24 lakh candidates.
The Supreme Court's notice is a significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The outcome of the court's proceedings could have a major impact on the future of the examination and the careers of the students who took it.
Source: NEET UG 2024: Supreme Court issues notice over NTA’s plea seeking transfer of cases from High Courts