Neet UG Case : The Supreme Court will hear on the petitions related to the controversial National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) today. To avoid multiplicity of litigations, the bench on Monday had asked to transfer cases pending against the NTA in various high courts on the NEET-UG row to the Supreme Court.
More than 23.33 lakh students had taken the test on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including in 14 cities overseas. The Centre and the NTA, in their earlier affidavits filed in the apex court, had said that scrapping the exam would be “counterproductive” and “seriously jeopardise” lakhs of honest candidates in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality.
During the last hearing, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud emphasized the need to determine the systemic nature of the leak and its impact on the integrity of the NEET UG exam. The court suggested that a retest might be necessary if the exam’s integrity was significantly compromised. However, a retest would be considered a last resort due to the logistical challenges and impact on millions of students.
In response to the controversy, the Central Government has formed a High-Level Committee headed by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO. This committee aims to recommend comprehensive examination reforms and restructure the NTA, enhancing data security protocols and optimizing organizational procedures. The committee’s findings are expected within two months.