On Friday, the Supreme Court decided against canceling the NEET-UG 2024 examination, stating that there was no systemic breach affecting the exam’s integrity beyond Hazaribagh and Patna.
The bench, consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, remarked, “We did not cancel the NEET-UG examination because there was no systemic breach of sanctity of the exam beyond Hazaribagh and Patna.”
They also criticized the National Testing Agency (NTA) for its inconsistent handling of the exam, noting, “NTA must stop its flip-flop which was noticed this year as it does not serve the interest of students.”
The court issued directions to expand the role of the Centre-appointed panel led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan. The panel is tasked with reviewing the NTA’s functioning and recommending reforms, with a report due by September 30.
The court suggested that the panel “should consider framing standard operating procedures for the adoption of technological advancements to strengthen the examination system.”
The court had previously dismissed pleas for cancellation and re-testing, asserting, “There was no evidence on record to conclude that it was vitiated on account of systemic breach of its sanctity.”
It highlighted that re-testing could cause “disruption of admission schedule, cascading effects on the course of medical education, impact on availability of qualified medical professionals in the future, and be seriously disadvantageous for the marginalized groups.”
While acknowledging the paper leak in Hazaribagh and Patna, the bench concluded that the evidence did not support a claim of widespread systemic failure.
They emphasized that “ordering cancellation of the entire exam was not justified” and that wrongdoing must be pervasive and systemic to warrant such a decision.