Supreme Court postpones NEET-UG hearing to address alleged irregularities on May 5

The Supreme Court has postponed the NEET-UG hearing until next Thursday, July 18, to address the alleged irregularities and malpractices during the May 5 medical entrance examination. The CBI has submitted a probe status report to the court regarding the ongoing investigation into the matter.

The central government submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, asserting that the NEET-UG 2024 exam was not marred by "mass malpractice" or any localized group of candidates receiving undue advantages, leading to abnormal scores.

The government said that an analysis conducted by IIT Madras found no proof of extensive irregularities or any particular set of candidates benefiting unjustly, which might have resulted in atypical scores.

The affidavit further mentioned that the distribution of marks in the exam follows a bell-shaped curve, which is a common occurrence in large-scale examinations and suggests no abnormalities. The Centre also informed the apex court through an additional affidavit that the counselling process will be conducted in four rounds, with the first round commencing in the third week of July.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court raised concerns about the integrity of the NEET-UG 2024 exam, suggesting that if the question paper leak has been disseminated through social media platforms, a re-examination must be conducted. The court stressed the importance of holding the authorities accountable and adjourned the matter until July 11, requesting the CBI to provide a status report by Wednesday.

Currently, the apex court is reviewing more than 30 petitions related to the NEET-UG examination, which raise various issues, including allegations of irregularities and malpractices during the May 5 test. Some petitioners are seeking a directive to re-conduct the examination.

In a separate plea, over 50 successful NEET-UG candidates from Gujarat approached the court, requesting it to prevent the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) from invalidating the disputed exam.

The NEET-UG exam has been marred by accusations of malpractice, including alleged paper leaks and questionable marking methods, leading to widespread anger and demonstrations across the country. As a result, certain students were instructed to retake the NEET UG exam, and the NEET-PG exam was postponed.