The Calcutta High Court has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to file an affidavit responding to allegations of irregularities in NEET UG 2024 exam. This is in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate citing discrepancies in the entrance test results published on 4th June 2024.
The court has asked NTA to provide details on how reservation policies were implemented and explain unusually high marks scored by some candidates. Further hearings on this matter are scheduled over the next few weeks.
Background of the NEET UG Irregularities Case
- Advocate Tanmoy Chattopadhyay filed the PIL in his personal capacity in the Calcutta HC.
- The plea alleges glaring discrepancies in the NEET UG 2024 results declared on 4th June.
- It states that some candidates have scored unusually high marks of 718 or 719, which is not possible as per the exam marking system.
- The petition also contends that NTA has not properly followed the reservation policies of state and central governments.
- NTA has justified awarding grace marks to some students based on a 2013 Supreme Court judgment.
- However, the HC noted that relevance of that judgment needs to be examined through an NTA affidavit.
Court Orders on NEET UG 2024 Case
The Calcutta High Court passed the following directions:
- NTA must file an affidavit within 10 days explaining the issues raised in the PIL.
- The affidavit should clarify how reservation policies were implemented.
- NTA must also disclose the justification for awarding unusually high marks.
- HC has asked NTA to preserve all records related to NEET UG 2024 till further orders.
- The case will be heard again after two weeks once NTA submits its affidavit.
What did the Petition on NEET UG Irregularities Argue?
Some key arguments made in the PIL are:
- Flawed Results – NEET UG results published on 4th June have glaring discrepancies. Legitimate claims of students to medical admissions are at risk.
- Improper Grace Marks – NTA wrongly gave grace marks to some students citing an irrelevant 2013 SC judgment. That order was in context of CLAT exam, not NEET UG.
- Reservation Issues – It is unclear how state/central reservation policies have been incorporated in preparing the merit list.
- Marking Errors – Some students could not have scored 718 or 719 marks out of 720 as per the NEET marking scheme. But results show such unusually high scores.
- Lack of Transparency – No clarity provided on what metrics were used to prepare results. Reservation implementation also seems flawed.
The PIL has requested the Court to order a review into these allegations of impropriety to protect interests of student community.
Why Accurate NEET UG Results are Essential?
NEET UG is the gateway exam for admission into medical colleges across India. Hence it is imperative that the exam and results are beyond reproach. However, the PIL makes serious charges that can potentially jeopardize careers of lakhs of medical aspirants.
Authorities must ensure complete transparency in the NEET exam, evaluation and result preparation process. Any irregularities, if proven true, will erode trust in the system and credibility of NTA itself.
The Court’s intervention to probe this issue can help address valid concerns raised by students regarding the conduct of NEET UG 2024. All stakeholders hope that the expert panel and NTA can satisfactorily respond to the allegations through documentary evidence.
We will keep tracking the developments in this crucial case impacting India’s medical entrance exam. The ramifications of this case will decide future course of action for not just NEET UG 2024 but also subsequent editions.
