The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled out the cancellation and retest of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, dismissing multiple pleas filed on grounds of question paper leak and other malpractices. The court, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, acknowledged that the leak occurred in Hazaribagh and Patna, but found no evidence of a systemic breach affecting the exam’s integrity. The court examined data provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and concluded that the leak did not necessitate a full exam cancellation.
The court emphasized the importance of segregating the tainted from the untainted. It clarified that if investigations uncover more beneficiaries of the leak, action will be taken against them, regardless of the completion of the counselling process. Recognizing the significant impact of a retest on over 24 lakh students, the court deemed it impractical.
The court directed NTA to proceed with a special test for 1,563 candidates, who were given the option of a re-test or foregoing grace marks. It also clarified that individuals with grievances not addressed by the judgment can pursue legal remedies. Additionally, the court ruled that petitions pending before the Supreme Court must be withdrawn before approaching High Courts.
Regarding the physics question with two seemingly correct options, the court accepted an expert panel’s report from IIT Delhi, which concluded that only option four was correct. Consequently, NTA was instructed to revise the NEET-UG 2024 results based on option four being the sole correct answer. This decision ensures fairness and upholds the integrity of the exam, while also preventing undue disruption to the academic calendar.
