Students Appeal to Supreme Court for NEET-UG 2024 Scrapping, CBI Probe into Irregularities

New Delhi: A group of 20 medical aspirants has filed a plea before the Supreme Court seeking the scrapping of NEET-UG 2024 and a Supreme Court-monitored probe by the CBI or another independent agency into alleged irregularities in the test held on May 5. The petition also requests that the National Testing Agency (NTA) conduct the test again.

While hearing separate petitions regarding grievances over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2024, the Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea for a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities in the exam.

The new plea argues that due to "rampant irregularities and fraudulent practices," a re-examination would help shortlist deserving students for admission to medical institutions.

The plea stated, "The sanctity of the examination is questionable in view of confirmed cases of question paper leakage, for which FIRs have been lodged and several individuals have been arrested, according to media reports."

The petition noted that the results declared by the NTA showed that 67 candidates scored the maximum possible marks of 720 out of 720. A closer analysis revealed an extraordinary increase of more than 400 per cent in the number of students scoring between 620 and 720 marks.

"These significant irregularities need to be thoroughly investigated by the CBI or another independent agency or committee under the supervision of this court to ensure justice for the many meritorious students affected by the systemic failure to conduct a fair examination," the petitioners contended.

The plea has requested a court-appointed committee or another independent agency to conduct a "post-exam analysis including academic background checks, forensic analysis, and investigations of all candidates who scored 620 and above," under court supervision.

The petitioners also sought directions for the NTA and others to take effective steps to ensure transparency and fairness in future examinations and address concerns about alleged fraudulent practices, question paper leaks, impersonation, and other unfair means in NEET-UG.

On Thursday, the Centre and the NTA informed the Supreme Court that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and related courses. These candidates will have the option to either retake the test or forgo the compensatory marks given to them for the loss of time, the Centre said.

The entrance exam was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, with around 24 lakh candidates appearing.

Allegations of question paper leaks in states like Bihar and other irregularities in the entrance test for medical and allied courses have led to protests in several cities and petitions filed in various high courts and the Supreme Court.

As many as 67 students scored an unprecedented perfect score of 720, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad, raising suspicions about irregularities. The grace marks allegedly contributed to these 67 students sharing the top rank.

The NEET-UG examination conducted by the NTA is the gateway for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.