During the proceedings, Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed the acknowledged leaks in Patna and Hazaribagh, emphasizing the necessity to ascertain the extent of breach. He also acknowledged the disadvantage students face due to uncertainty about their results. The CJI suggested masking student identities while displaying centre-wise mark patterns to ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of the examination process. The next hearing for NEET UG 2024 is scheduled for July 22, 2024.
10 Important Highlights of Today’s Hearing
During today’s hearing, the Apex Court directed the NTA to publish the NEET UG results on the official website. Here are 10 important highlights from today’s hearing:
CJI queries NTA on student numbers
During today’s hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud queried the National Testing Agency about student numbers for the past three years. NTA responded with these figures:
- 17,64,570 candidates appeared for NEET UG in 2022.
- 20,38,526 candidates appeared for NEET UG in 2023.
- 23,33,297 candidates appeared for NEET UG in 2024, marking a 33% increase from 2022.
Significant increase in top scores
Senior advocate Narendra Hooda pointed out during the hearing that the number of candidates scoring between 550-720 marks has increased fivefold. Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned whether this could indicate a paper leak. Mr. Hooda responded, considering it a red flag, and requested further investigation.
Safety system and distribution dates
The Solicitor General explained during the hearing that the CBI investigated the entire distribution chain, including printers, centers, GPS tracking, and digital lockers, detailing a 7-layer safety system. Mr. Hooda mentioned the dispatch date as April 28, corrected by the CJI to April 24 for Hazaribagh. The SG clarified that two printing presses distributed papers between April 24 to 28 across various cities.
Systemic failure in the examination
Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned Mr. Hooda about the possibility of a widespread and systematic leak. Mr. Hooda claimed that the failure of the examination was multidimensional, citing compromises in transportation of question papers. He presented photos and evidence of papers circulating on Telegram by May 4, alleging the arrest of involved principals by the CBI.
NTA dismissed telegram video, called it fake
During the hearing, the NTA council argued that the Telegram video alleging a NEET UG paper leak was fake. The Solicitor General supported this argument by stating, “Telegram channel has an inbuilt feature that reflects changes. It is known that this was circulated after the examination.” However, Mr. Hooda countered, saying, “Content on Telegram can be altered, but the timestamp cannot. There is a lapse in NTA’s argument that the video was released after the exam.”
Role of the gang member
During the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud inquired about the distance between Patna and Hazaribagh. The Solicitor General explained that the gang member in Hazaribagh sent the paper via WhatsApp, emphasizing the gang’s strategy to prevent widespread leaks by prohibiting students from taking photographs. He noted that parents provided post-dated cheques, and the gang’s methods prevented the exam from being canceled due to a broad leak.
Paper leak hypothesis dismissed
Chief Justice Chandrachud dismissed the hypothesis that the entire paper was solved in 45 minutes and distributed to students as too far-fetched. Solicitor General Mehta maintained that there was no paper leak. The CJI further questioned the plausibility of experts solving 180 questions in 45 minutes before the examination.
Supreme Court seeks transparency in NEET exam amid leak concerns
Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed admitted leaks in Patna and Hazaribagh, stressing the need to determine the extent of the breach. He also acknowledged that students are disadvantaged by uncertainty over their results. The CJI suggested masking student identities while displaying center-wise mark patterns to ensure transparency and maintain integrity in the process.
NTA to publish NEET UG result
In a decisive move, the Apex Court directed the NTA to publish the NEET UG 2024 results on their website, ensuring anonymity of candidates by masking identities city-wise and center-wise. Results are mandated to be released by 12 noon on July 20.
Next hearing on July 22
The Supreme Court scheduled the next hearing for July 22, where it is expected to deliver its verdict.