Today, the Supreme Court of India heard a petition asking to cancel the NEET UG 2024 exam and delay the counselling process, which is scheduled to start on July 6. The case was heard by a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti.
During the hearing, Justice Nath instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to decide on the petitioner’s request by 3 PM today. The petitioner had previously sent several requests to the NTA but claimed he had not received any responses. Advocate Vardhaman Kaushik, representing the NTA, accepted the notice from the court.
Justice Nath emphasized that the NTA should inform the petitioner of their decision via email by 4 PM today.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the NEET UG 2024 exam should be re-conducted. He claimed that the NTA had withheld important information and that 773 candidates had failed without receiving any grace marks. He also requested the court to order a CBI investigation into an alleged paper leak, which is also being considered by the same bench.
Justice Nath instructed the NTA’s lawyer to respond to the interim applications for orders. This response must be submitted within two weeks and will be included with other related petitions.
The petitioner’s lawyer clarified that they were not asking for an immediate halt to the counselling process but requested a two-day pause. They noted that the main hearing on this matter is scheduled for July 8, just two days after the counselling is set to start.
Justice Bhatti explained that the counselling process is not a quick one. It begins on July 6 and continues for a week, during which applicants can change or modify their choices. Only after this period do the final decisions move to the convenor’s responsibility.
The court’s decision is being closely watched by NEET UG 2024 candidates and stakeholders. They are awaiting further directions on whether the exam will be re-conducted or if there will be any changes to the counselling process.
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