In a significant move, the Supreme Court of India has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to release the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) for the year 2024. The results must be published on the NTA’s official website by noon on July 20. The order was issued by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also part of the panel.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the results should be published without revealing the identities of the candidates. This means that while the scores will be made available, the names and other personal details of the students will not be disclosed. This step is aimed at maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of the students.
During the hearing, the Bench acknowledged that the sanctity of the NEET-UG exam had been compromised. However, it noted that cancelling the exam entirely would be a drastic measure, affecting the futures of over 23 lakh students who took the test. The exam, held on May 5, was conducted at 4,750 centers across 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.
The Centre and the NTA had previously argued against scrapping the exam, stating that it would be counterproductive and unfair to the majority of honest candidates. They assured the Court that there was no evidence of a large-scale breach of confidentiality that would justify cancelling the exam.
Meanwhile, the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has issued a notice to medical colleges, requesting them to submit their seat details on the MCC portal. The data entry for seats will commence on July 20, in preparation for the UG counselling process for 2024.
The Court did not agree to an oral plea by some petitioners to delay the counselling process. The Solicitor General informed the Court that the counselling is scheduled to start on July 24.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing on this matter for July 22. By then, the NTA is expected to have published the results as ordered, and preparations for the counselling process will be underway.
This decision by the Supreme Court aims to ensure a fair outcome for the students while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of the NEET-UG examination process.
Comments