Even if there’s 0.001% negligence, it must be dealt with: Supreme Court on NEET

New Delhi, June 18

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday said even if there was “0.001 per cent negligence” on the part of anyone in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

• Editorial: NCERT row

Observing that students have to labour hard while preparing for these examinations, the apex court said the litigation pertaining to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2024 examination ought not be treated as adversarial litigation.

Seeking clean-up surgery

SC says NEET ought not to be treated as adversarial litigation

4,750 centres where NEET-UG was held on May 5

24 lakh candidates (approximately) appeared for it

1,573 students given grace marks as exam started late at some centres

67 students scored perfect 720, this is unprecedented in NTA’s history

6 from one examination centre in Haryana too figured on list

Fraud doctor will prove lethal

Imagine a person who has played fraud on the system becomes a doctor, he is more deleterious to society. SC Bench

“Even if there is 0.001 per cent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with,” a Vacation Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti told the advocates appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA conducts the all-India pre-medical entrance test.

The Bench was hearing two separate petitions raising grievances, including on grace marks given to students in the examination held on May 5. “We all know the labour which the children undergo, especially in preparing for these exams… Imagine a person who has played fraud on the system becomes a doctor, he is more deleterious to the society,” the Bench said.

“Representing an agency which is responsible for conducting the examination, you must stand firm. If there is a mistake, yes this is a mistake and this is the action we are going to take. At least that inspires confidence in your performance,” the Bench told the NTA’s counsel.

Stressing on timely action by the authority, the top court said the pleas would come up for hearing on July 8 along with other pending petitions, including those which have sought a direction to conduct the exam afresh. It said the NTA and the Centre would file their responses on these fresh petitions within two weeks.

When one of the advocates appearing for some petitioners raised the issue pertaining to a question asked in the exam, the Bench said, “They (NTA and Centre) will respond to it. Let us understand the purpose of your submissions. In these matters, we are prepared to sit up to evening,” it observed.

While hearing separate petitions raising grievances over the NEET-UG 2024, the apex court had last week sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in the exam.

The Centre and the NTA had on June 13 told the top court that they had cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses. They will have the option to either take a retest or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for the loss of time, the Centre had said.

The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates took it. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answersheets got completed earlier. There have been allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the prestigious exam.

The allegations have led to protests in several cities and filing of petitions in several high courts as also the Supreme Court. Scores of students protested in Delhi on June 10, seeking a probe into alleged irregularities.