NEET-UG 2024 paper leak: 180 questions solved in just 45 minutes before exam, SC to NTA

In a crucial development, the Supreme Court convened on Thursday to address petitions advocating either a retest or the cancellation of the 2024 NEET-UG examination.

The apex court criticised the stances taken by the Central government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the alleged paper leak, particularly highlighting their claim that the breach occurred a mere 45 minutes prior to the commencement of the test at specific exam centres.

During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, disclosed findings from an investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), revealing that an individual had illicitly captured images of the exam papers at a centre in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, between 8 am and 9:20 am on the day of the examination. The CBI has since launched an inquiry into this incident.

The SC bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud raised doubts over the plausibility of solving all 180 questions within a mere 45-minute window, given that the exam officially commenced at 10:15 am. Responding to these concerns, Mehta detailed that seven collaborators allegedly distributed the questions.

Chief Justice Chandrachud expressed scepticism over the notion that the entire paper could have been solved and distributed to students within the reported timeframe, stating, "The whole hypothesis that within 45 minutes there was a breach and the entire paper was solved and given to students seems very far-fetched."

It was purported that students who engaged with the illegal network acquired the solved question papers and were provided with answers to memorise for the exam. Acknowledging the case's significance, the bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra emphasised the need to priortise these petitions due to their profound "social ramifications," impacting a vast number of students awaiting a resolution.

On July 18, the Supreme Court instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to release the results of the NEET-UG 24 examination on their website according to cities and centres while safeguarding the candidates' identities. 

After a day of hearings and deliberations, the court scheduled the subsequent hearing to take place on July 22.