New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that a decision has been taken to cancel the grace marks awarded to 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates and these students will be given an option to take a re-examination, and results will be announced before counselling.
Refusing to stall the counselling for NEET-UG, 2024, scheduled to commence from July 6, the top court made it clear that the admission of successful candidates to medical colleges and other institutions will be subject to the outcome of the petitions which have sought reliefs like cancellation of the examination held on May 5 on grounds of question paper leak and other malpractices. A bench comprising J Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said, “We are not stopping the counselling”. “Why should we delay counselling and why should we delay the admission?”, the bench asked a counsel, representing one of the petitioners'.
Following the Supreme Court observations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) in a post on its official X handle said the re-test of all 1563 candidates will be held on June 23. "Subsequent to the Hon'ble Supreme Court's observations on the report of NTA's High Powered Committee, the grace/compensatory marks awarded to all, 1563 students stand withdrawn. A re-test of all 1563 candidates will be held on June 23, 2024. NTA will issue a public notice shortly and also contact these, 1563 candidates through email to ensure that they receive the official communication," NTA said in the post.
During the hearing today, Advocate Kanu Agarwal, representing the Centre, informed the apex court that meetings were held on June 10, 11, and 12, and the committee took a decision on June 12. He said the committee has decided to cancel scorecards of 1563 candidates who would have to take the test again. Agarwal added that candidates’ who don't wish to sit for re-examination, their actual marks, without compensatory marks, will be taken into consideration. “You are giving an opportunity to appear in the examination to those who desire….”, noted the bench.
“Scorecards of all affected candidates issued on June 4, 2024, stand cancelled and thus withdrawn….A re-examination will be conducted for the affected candidates’….The result of those affected candidates’ who do not wish to re-appear for re-examination will be declared based on actual marks without compensation…”, said the Centre’s counsel, reading out of the operative portion of the committee’s conclusion.
The bench recorded the submissions of the counsel, representing the National Testing Agency (NTA), that the date for re-examination will be announced today and it would likely be held on June 23, and the result will be declared before June 30. The counsel informed the court that the result will be declared before counselling begins, so that it is not affected.
Advocate J. Sai Deepak, representing chief executive of EdTech firm ‘Physics Wallah’, Alakh Pandey, informed the bench that his client is concerned with unfair means adopted for the examination and the award of grace marks to candidates'. Deepak said a certain set of candidates’ will take a second shot at the examination, where the standards could be different from the first examination. “What should be done with those 1563 candidates who did not get the actual time allotted to them”, Justice Nath asked Deepak, who replied there is a larger issue with the conduct of examination.
However, the bench asked Deepak to provide suggestions regarding 1563 candidates’ and not delve into the larger issue regarding the examination, which is scheduled to come up before the apex court on July 8. “Now they are holding a re-test. You are not happy, then what?”, Justice Nath asked Deepak.
Advocate Naresh Kaushik, NTA’s counsel, said Pandey’s petition does not have a prayer regarding paper leak and his actual prayer is regarding constitution of expert committee to look into a larger issue. The bench said according to him the larger issue is paper leak and adoption of unfair means. Agarwal said this petition is primarily on grace marks and nothing else. Deepak said what happens to those who have not approached the court, but they have suffered loss of time, and they do not get an option. “Are you holding their brief….”, the bench asked Deepak, who urged the court to explore the possibility of opening this option to others who have not approached the court. However, the bench did not accept his contention.
After a detailed hearing, the apex court disposed of petitions raising questions over awarding of grace or compensatory marks to 1563 candidates. However, the apex court issued notice to the other petitions seeking re-examination due to paper leakage and malpractices of NEET UG 2024 held on May 5.
The bench, in its order, recorded that as per the recommendations it has been suggested that scorecards of affected 1563 candidates will be cancelled and withdrawn and actual scores will be informed without grace marks and re-exam will be conducted for them. “Result of those who do not take the retest will be the exam's actual scores without grace marks," said the bench. The medical courses counselling will begin from July 6.
The chief executive of EdTech firm ‘Physics Wallah’, Alakh Pandey, moved the apex court challenging the random award of grace marks by the NTA to over 1,500 candidates, who appeared for NEET-UG, 2024 for admissions to medical courses.
Earlier this week, the apex court had issued notice to NTA and others on pleas seeking recalling of the results and to conduct fresh examination and scheduled the matter for hearing on July 8. The NEET UG, 2024 held on May 5 for admission to medical colleges across the country has been marred by allegations of paper leakage and malpractices. The result of the examination was declared on June 4.
Read More
'NTA Accepted…' PhysicsWallah CEO Alakh Pandey on Big Supreme Court Development in NEET Controversy
