Calcutta High Court Seeks NTA's Response On Plea Questioning Alleged Irregularities While Conducting NEET (UG) 2024 Exams

The Calcutta High Court has sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) on a plea questioning alleged irregularities while conducting the 2024 NEET (UG) examinations.

The matter was heard by a division bench of Justices Apurba Sinha Ray and Kausik Chanda.

The petitioner stated that some of the candidates could not have scored 718 or 719 out of the maximum possible marks of 720 as per the applicable marking/score system.

It was stated that the National Testing Agency sought to justify the awarding of such marks based on a judgment passed by the Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No.600 of 2018 (Akshat Aggarwal & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.).

It was stated that justification for such an exercise cannot be decided without an affidavit from the National Testing Agency. Accordingly, the Court called on the NTA to file an affidavit within ten days from date in response to the allegations made in the writ petition.

The affidavit should also disclose how the reservation policy of the State as well as the Central Government has been followed in preparing the merit list. List this matter after two weeks under the same heading before the Regular Bench. The National Testing Agency shall preserve the records pertaining to the NEET (UG) 2024 Examination until further order of this Court. The outcome of the counselling process shall abide by the result of the writ petition, the Court stated.

Case: Tanmoy Chattopadhyay v National Testing Agency & Ors

Case No: WPA(P) 236 of 2024

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