The Union government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Friday, opposing the re-conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam, stating that such a move would unnecessarily disrupt the academic calendar. The government contended that there is no substantial evidence of widespread malpractice to justify cancelling the exam.
This stance is supported by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which also filed a separate affidavit arguing that cancelling the exam would be “counterproductive” and jeopardize the careers of meritorious students. The NTA emphasized that instances of malpractice were “minuscule,” “sporadic,” and “scattered,” involving identifiable individuals at specific locations.
The affidavit filed by the Ministry of Education stated, “In the absence of any proof of large-scale breaches in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared.”
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made its second arrest in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Amit Kumar Singh, alias Bunty, was arrested in Dhanbad late Thursday night and taken to Patna for further investigation. The CBI is also searching for Amit Singh, the elder brother of alleged co-conspirator Aman Singh.
The NTA’s affidavit highlighted that the performance analysis of candidates from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Gujarat—where complaints of malpractice arose—did not indicate any abnormal advantage. The performance at these centres was consistent with the national average.
The affidavits were filed ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on petitions demanding the cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 due to alleged irregularities, including a potential paper leak. The Union government and NTA maintained their commitment to conducting competitive exams fairly and transparently, stressing the importance of protecting the interests of students who attempted the exam honestly.
Scrapping NEET-UG exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise honest candidates: Centre to SC
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The Union government emphasized in its affidavit, “Scrapping the exam in its entirety would seriously jeopardize the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024.” The Centre also underscored that genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed, while other claims based on conjecture should be dismissed to avoid unnecessary distress to honest examinees.
Addressing reported irregularities, the Centre detailed that the CBI is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the alleged malpractices. “The Ministry has asked the CBI to investigate the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, and destruction of evidence,” the affidavit stated.
The affidavit also referenced the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling in Sachin Kumar & Ors Vs DSSSB & Ors, which highlighted that systemic irregularities would be required to invalidate the entire examination process. The ministry said it constituted a high-level committee of experts, headed by former ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, to recommend reforms for conducting transparent and fair examinations.
The 2024 NEET-UG, held on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad, saw 2.3 million candidates appearing for the exam. The results, declared on June 4, raised suspicions when 67 candidates achieved perfect scores, many from the same examination centre. This controversy led to the replacement of the NTA head.
The NTA maintained that the perfect scores were due to a reduced syllabus, which aimed to alleviate the pressure on students who faced challenges due to the pandemic. The agency pointed out that the issue of paper leaks was confined to certain places in Bihar, while other complaints pertained to individual malpractices.
The Bihar police initially investigated the paper leak allegations, but the probe was later handed over to the CBI, which has made seven arrests so far. The Bihar government also filed an affidavit, informing the court that it handed over case records to the CBI.
On June 18, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the examination process, acknowledging the allegations of paper leaks and discrepancies in results. The court reminded the NTA of the seriousness of allowing any fraud in the admission process, underscoring the potential harm of admitting doctors through fraudulent means.
Also read: NEET PG 2024 New Date Announced: Exam Will NOW Be Held On August 11 In Two Shifts
