NEET-UG 2024 SC Hearing: Big verdict to be out anytime soon

The Supreme Court is scheduled to continue its hearing today, July 23, on several petitions regarding alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud will preside over the session alongside Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. A final judgement is anticipated by the end of the day.

On Monday, during the ongoing deliberations, the bench directed the director of IIT Delhi to form a three-member committee to evaluate a contentious Physics exam question which resulted in 44 candidates attaining top rank. The committee's findings are expected to be submitted to the court registrar by noon.

With the medical entrance exam's counselling process scheduled to start Wednesday, July 24, today’s ruling is viewed as critical. 

At the July 18 hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud expressed concerns about the rising number of top scorers, citing statistics provided by Advocate Hooda. In 2022, approximately 17.5 lakh candidates participated, increasing to 20.5 lakh in 2023 and rising to 23.33 lakh in 2024. Hooda highlighted the five-fold increase in candidates scoring between 550 and 720, labeling it a “red flag.”

Regarding findings from IIT Madras, the government reported that a thorough technical evaluation of NEET-UG 2024 data revealed “no indication of mass malpractice.” They clarified that no local candidates benefited from abnormal scores, assuring that 23 lakh students should not be burdened with a retest based on unsubstantiated claims.

During the July 18 session, the Chief Justice noted a significant nine-day interval between the printing and dispatch of the question papers, which were sent to various banks for distribution.

 The Supreme Court reiterated that any decision to conduct a retest must be firmly grounded in evidence showing that the exam's integrity was compromised on a large scale. Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasised that a re-examination would only be warranted if the exam's validity was significantly undermined.

As the hearing progresses, the Supreme Court remains focused on ensuring a fair resolution for the large number of students eagerly awaiting the outcome.