The Supreme Court will hear today three petitions seeking to cancel the NEET UG 2024 test and conduct of a retest due to alleged anomalies in grant of grace marks.A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear the matter. The petitioners also seek stay of the counselling.Follow this page for live updates from the hearing which will happen after 10.30...
The Supreme Court will hear today three petitions seeking to cancel the NEET UG 2024 test and conduct of a retest due to alleged anomalies in grant of grace marks.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear the matter. The petitioners also seek stay of the counselling.
Follow this page for live updates from the hearing which will happen after 10.30 AM.
Briefly stated, the court js dealing with 3 petitions filed challenging the NEET-UG, 2024 results for widespread irregularities and raising suspicions with regard to the grant of grace marks in the test by National Testing Agency to over 1500 candidates on the ground of "loss of time".
One of the petitions was filed by Physics Wallah CEO-Alakh Pandey, who claimed that the NTA's decision to award grace marks was "arbitrary". Reportedly, Pandey collected representations from about 20,000 students, showing that about 70-80 marks were randomly awarded as grace marks to at least 1,500 students.
The second petition was filed by SIO members Abdullah Mohammed Faiz and Dr. Shaik Roshan Mohiddin, seeking recall of the NEET-UG 2024 results and conduct of a fresh exam. The petitioners alleged arbitrariness in the grant of grace marks, pointing out that marks as high as 718 & 719 out of 720 (secured by several students) were “statistically impossible”. It was claimed that NTA's grant of grace marks was a malafide exercise to give “backdoor entry” to certain students, instead of compensation for "lost time". The petitioners also raised suspicions regarding the fact that 67 students from one particular centre obtained full 720 marks.
In this second petition, the petitioners also sought a stay on the counselling to be conducted for NEET-UG 2024 admissions till investigation into allegations of paper leak was completed. They further prayed for the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate into the alleged malpractices in the conduct of the exam.
The third petition was filed by NEET candidate-Jaripiti Kartheek, challenging award of grace marks as compensation for alleged loss of time during the exam. He contended that the “normalization formula” to award grace marks at best could extend only to the number of questions that may be left unanswered in proportion to the loss of time, given that each question has equal mark weightage; therefore equal time distribution to answer each question can be assumed.
Notably, on June 11, the Supreme Court issued notice on another petition filed before declaration of the NEET-UG results (on June 4), seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 test over alleged paper leak. Observing that the sanctity of the exam had been affected, the Court sought a response from the NTA on the allegations of paper leak by July 8. However, it turned down the prayer to stay the counselling process.
Previously, on June 8, the NTA and Union Education Ministry announced formation of a 4-member committee to review the results of over 1,500 candidates who were awarded “grace marks” to compensate for the “loss of time” suffered while appearing for the NEET-UG 2024 exam.
In related news, two other NEET-UG 2024 candidates viz. Hiten Singh Kashyap and Palak Mittal have moved the Supreme Court challenging the examination process as unfair. They allege that question paper leaks and misappropriation happened at mass level before and during the examination.
As per this petition, apart from paper leak, exam centre manipulations also took place during NEET-UG 2024. In this regard, it is mentioned that students from states like Odisha, Karnataka and Jharkhand chose a particular centre at Godhra, Gujarat.
Further, the petition states that award of grace marks to 1563 students of only 6 centers affected the overall merit list and fairness of the examination. It casts serious aspersions on the integrity and commitment of NTA, pointing to its denial of paper leak despite evidence in that regard: "The NTA's refusal to acknowledge the leaks despite the evidence raises serious concerns about its commitment to ensuring a fair examination process. This denial also casts doubt on the NTA's ability to conduct secure and transparent examinations".
Case Details:
Abdullah Mohammed Faiz and Anr. v. National Testing Agency (NTA) and Ors., W.P.(C) No. 369/2024
Alakh Pandey v. National Testing Agency and Anr., W.P.(C) No. 368/2024
Jaripiti Kartheek v. National Testing Agency (NTA) and Ors., W.P.(C) No. 366/2024
Centre tells Supreme Court that a decision has been taken to cancel the score-cards of 1563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates who were given grace marks. Centre adds that these 1563 students will be given an option to take a re-test.
These students will be informed of their actual scores(without grace marks). They will be given an option to appear for a re-examination. Results of the students who do not wish to appear for the re-examination will be based on the exam held on May 5.
NTA says that the re-test is likely to be held on June 23 and its results will be published before June 30. Counselling to start on July 6.
Bench disposes of petition argued by Adv Balaji. NTA's response is sought in the petition argued by Adv Sai Deepak, on issues other than that of compensatory marks
J Nath: Mr Balaji (Counsel for petitioner) submits that the decision taken is a fair decision and he has no further grievance left with regard to grace marks issue. Mr Sai Deepak says he has raised issues other than of grace marks
J Nath: Counsel for NTA on instructions says re-test will be notified today itself...it would likely be held on 23rd June. Results would be declared prior to...so that counselling which is set to begin in July is not affected
J Nath: These candidates will be informed their actual scores, without compensatory marks. Re-exam will be conducted for the affected 1563 candidates. Results of those who don't wish to re-appear will be declared based on actual marks
J Nath: NTA constituted a committee to re-consider the issue after petitions were filed challenging the award of grace marks.
J Nath: Subsequent committee has made recommendations, which have been placed today before us by Mr Kanu Agarwal. It has been suggested that score cards of affected 1563 candidates will stand cancelled and withdrawn
J Nath: Petitioner who appeared for NEET-UG 2024 has raised grievance regarding grant of grace marks to 1563 candidates...using normalization formula, on recommendation of a committee constituted by the NTA
Sai Deepak: Your Lordships may keep small time window open in which these candidates may apply
J Nath dictates order
Sai Deepak: I am referring to candidates apart from the 1563 candidates who were given grace marks
J Nath: At how many centers the issue of loss of time occurred?
Agarwal: 6
Sai Deepak: What happens to those students who have not approached the court but were affected?
J Nath: Have they approached the court? We will not appreciate this
Sai Deepak: Let the option be available to those also who have not approached