'No Indication of Mass Malpractice': Centre Not In Support Of NEET Re-test, Files Affidavit In SC

Two days after the Supreme Court observed that the sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 has been “breached”, the central government on Wednesday filed an affidavit before the apex Court in paper leak row, saying that it is not in support of a re-test citing an analysis by IIT Madras which suggests there was no “mass malpractice” in the exam.

The government said that it is ensuring no candidate guilty of malpractice gets any benefit but 23 lakh students are not required to be burdened with a re-test on “unsupported apprehensions”.

The government said that an exhaustive technical evaluation on data related to NEET-UG 2024 exam was conducted by IIT Madras and the analysis shows “no indication of mass malpractice”.  The government also added that the data analysis shows that no local set of candidates benefitted leading to abnormal scores.

The Central government that it has constituted committee of experts to recommend conduct of transparent and smooth examinations.

Sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 ‘Breached’: SC

Observing that the sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 has been “breached”, the Supreme Court on Monday said a re-test may be ordered if the entirety of the process is affected and sought details from the National Testing Agency and the CBI including the timing and manner of the paper leak, besides the numbers of wrongdoers, to know the extent of its effect.

“Let us not be in self-denial. Self-denial is only adding to the problem,” a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud told the Centre and the NTA, which conducts the prestigious test, in a string of strongly-worded observations.

“One thing which is very clear is that the leak has taken place. That the sanctity of the exam has been breached is beyond doubt. The question is how widespread is the leak,” said the bench which also comprised Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Posing a volley of searching queries, the bench said a re-test has to be ordered if the breach in sanctity affects the entirety of the process.

The court said if the sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 is “lost” and if the leak of its question paper has been propagated through social media, then a re-test has to be ordered.