The Supreme Court of India is set to hear a series of pleas on Thursday that allege irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination and are seeking its cancellation. The hearing will be presided over by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
In the previous hearing, the Bench decided to adjourn the case on a joint request from the parties involved. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had submitted a status report concerning allegations of a paper leak, which was a significant development in the case.
Government’s Affidavit and IIT-Madras Analysis
The Centre, in its affidavit, informed the Supreme Court that an analysis by IIT-Madras showed no signs of widespread malpractice or localised benefits leading to abnormal scores in the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 5, 2024. According to the affidavit, there was an overall increase in marks obtained by students, particularly in the range of 550 to 720. This increase was seen across various cities and centres and was attributed to a 25% reduction in the syllabus.
The IIT-Madras experts conducted a comprehensive data analysis, examining parameters such as marks distribution, city-wise and centre-wise rank distribution, and the spread of candidates over a range. The experts concluded that there was no abnormality in the results, indicating a very low likelihood of malpractice.
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Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to provide full disclosure regarding the nature of the paper leak, the locations where leaks occurred, and the time lag between the leak and the examination. In addition, the Court asked the CBI to file a status report detailing the investigation’s progress and the evidence gathered.
The upcoming hearing on July 18 is expected to delve deeper into these issues, with the Supreme Court examining the evidence and reports submitted by the NTA and the CBI. The Court’s decision will be crucial in determining the fate of the NEET-UG 2024 examination and addressing the concerns raised by the petitioners.
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