NEET UG 2024 Controversy: NTA Seeks Supreme Court Intervention

By- Liam Vas, Govind Ramnath Kare College Of Law, Goa.

The ongoing controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate (UG) examination 2024 has taken a new turn with the National Testing Agency (NTA) indicating its intention to transfer all related matters to the Supreme Court. This development was disclosed during proceedings before the Delhi High Court, where Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the NTA before a vacation bench.

The NTA, through Ld. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that it plans to file a transfer petition before the Supreme Court to consolidate and address the various petitions concerning NEET UG exams that have been filed in different High Courts across the country. This move aims to prevent conflicting views or judgments by different High Courts and ensure a unified approach to the legal issues arising from the NEET UG 2024 examinations.

The controversies surrounding the NEET UG 2024 exams can be broadly categorized into three main areas, as outlined by Ld. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta:

Alleged Question Paper Leak:

Several petitions have been filed regarding the alleged leak of NEET UG question papers, raising concerns about the integrity and fairness of the examination process.

Award of Grace Marks:

Petitions have also been lodged against the NTA’s decision to award grace marks, with some candidates questioning the criteria and transparency of this process.

Multiple Correct Options:

Another issue highlighted in petitions is the contention that certain questions had multiple correct options, leading to confusion and uncertainty among candidates.

The High Court took note of these submissions and issued a notice to the NTA regarding the transfer petition. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on July 5, following a request from petitioners who indicated their readiness to take steps if the transfer to the Supreme Court does not materialize.

This development comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent order directing the NTA to respond to allegations of NEET UG paper leak. However, the apex court clarified that it would not halt counseling for admissions to medical colleges pending the resolution of these issues.

Reports have also emerged regarding an unusually high number of candidates obtaining a perfect score in the NEET UG 2024 results published on June 4. Candidates have raised concerns about the process of awarding compensatory marks for loss of time during the examination, alleging irregularities in this aspect.

It is noteworthy that earlier, on May 17, a three-judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court led by Hon’ble The 50th Chief Justice Of India, Ld. Dr. Mr. Justice D.Y Chandrachud alongside Hon’ble Justice J.B Pardiwala and Hon’ble Justice Manoj Misra had declined to stay the publication of NEET-UG 2024 results. The petitioners in this case are being represented by legal counsel Gauhar Mirza from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, with support from Abiha Zaidi and Suriti Chowdhary from Saaz Partners, who filed the plea.

The NEET UG 2024 controversy continues to attract significant attention and scrutiny, highlighting the challenges and complexities inherent in conducting nationwide entrance examinations of this scale and importance.