New Delhi (TIP)- The Supreme Court on Friday, August 2, said the National Testing Agency or NTA must avoid the “flip-flops” it made in relation to the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Such “flip-flops” in a national exam do not serve the interests of the students, it said. The Supreme Court was pronouncing its verdict containing reasons for not cancelling the 2024 NEET-UG medical entrance examination, despite a raging controversy over paper allegations and other irregularities in the exam.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, also said the expert committee must rectify the deficiencies in the exam system.
The Supreme Court said that in it’s judgment, it has highlighted all the deficiencies in the structural processes of the NTA. “We cannot afford this for the betterment of the students,” said the Supreme Court.
The top court added that the issues which have arisen must be rectified by the Centre this year itself so that it is not repeated. The Supreme Court, however, said there was no systemic breach of the NEET-UG 2024 papers, and the leak was only limited to Patna and Hazaribagh.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment, also said the committee constituted by the Centre also consider framing standard operating procedure (SOP) for technological advancements to identify potential weaknesses in the cyber security of the examination system, processes for enhanced identity checks, CCTV camera monitoring of exam centres.
The bench also issued a slew of directions and expanded the remit of the Centre-appointed committee headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the NTA’s functioning and recommend exam reforms.
It said since the remit of the panel has been expanded, the committee would submit its report by September 30 on various measures to rectify deficiencies in the examination system. The bench said the Radhakrishnan panel should consider framing standard operating procedure for adoption of technological advancements to strengthen the examination system. The top court said the issues which have arisen during the NEET-UG examination should be rectified by the Centre.
On July 23, the top court dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was “vitiated” on account of “systemic breach” of its sanctity.
The Supreme Court, while pronouncing the order, said its detailed reasons would follow.
The interim verdict came as a shot in the arm for the embattled NDA government and the NTA, which were facing strong criticism and protests, on streets and in Parliament, over alleged large-scale malpractices like question paper leak, fraud and impersonation in the prestigious test held on May 5.
Over 23 lakh students gave the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) in 2024 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses. Source: HT