New Delhi- The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses of those who had moved various high courts for re-test of NEET-UG 2024 alleging question paper leaks and other irregularities on a plea of the National Testing Agency for transfer of such cases to the top court to avoid multiplicity of litigation.
Several high courts are seized of many petitions seeking reliefs like re-test, quashing of award of grace marks and independent probe into the alleged malpractices in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate, 2024 (NEET-UG) exam which was held on May 5.
A vacation bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the submission of the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) counsel Vardhaman Kaushik that the pending pleas are needed to be transferred to the apex court.
“Issue notice,” the bench said, adding it will be taken up for hearing on July 8 along with other related petitions on the NEET-UG row.
Kaushik, however, said the NTA wanted to withdraw three other petitions, which were seeking transfer of cases from high courts to the top court, as they pertained to grant of grace marks to 1,563 candidates on account of loss of time during the examination on May 5.
He said the NTA will be informing the high courts that the issue over grace marks has been settled and that the decision to cancel the compensatory marks given to 1,536 candidates has been taken.
The bench permitted the NTA to withdraw the transfer petitions pertaining to row over grant of grace marks to 1,563 candidates.
On June 12, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the Delhi High Court that the NTA will be soon approaching the Supreme Court for transfer of petitions filed by NEET-UG candidates before several high courts over alleged paper leak and anomalies in evaluating answers to certain questions.
“We are filing transfer petitions in the Supreme Court because there is a likelihood of conflicting views by different high courts. Could your lordship consider waiting for a week or two? We will file a transfer petition,” Mehta had told the high court.
On June 14, the Centre and the NTA told the Supreme Court they have 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 re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for 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 answer sheets 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 cases in seven high courts as also the Supreme Court. Scores of students protested in Delhi on June 10 seeking a probe into alleged irregularities.
As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a centre in Haryana’s Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
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