NEET-UG exam row: SC warns of no tolerance for exam negligence

Members of various student unions take part in a protest rally in Hyderabad. Pic/PTI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said even if there was "0.001 per cent negligence" on the part of anyone in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

Observing that students have to labour hard while preparing for these examinations, the apex court said the litigation pertaining to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate)-2024 examination ought not be treated as adversarial.

"Even if there is 0.001 per cent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with," a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti told the advocates appearing for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA conducts the all India pre-medical entrance test.

The bench was hearing two separate petitions raising grievances, including on grace marks given to students in the examination held on May 5. "We all know the labour which the children undergo, especially in preparing for these exams," the bench said, adding, "Imagine a person who has played fraud on the system becomes a doctor, he is more deleterious to the society".

"Representing an agency which is responsible for conducting the examination, you must stand firm. If there is a mistake, yes this is a mistake and this is the action we are going to take. At least that inspires confidence in your performance," bench told NTA's counsel.

Rahul slams PM Modi for ‘silence'

Rahul Gandhi hit out at PM Modi for maintaining "silence" on the NEET exam issue and asserted that his party is committed to strongly raising voice of the youth from the streets to the Parliament for ensuring strong policies against paper leaks. Gandhi said arrests made in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana clearly show that there has been organised corruption in the examination in a planned manner.

AAP demands SC monitored probe

AAP leaders gathered at the Jantar Mantar to protest against the alleged irregularities. Saurabh Bharadwaj demanded that a Supreme Court monitored probe be initiated into the matter. "There are 24 lakh students, who appeared in the exam. They prepared for 16 to 18 hours for the exam. Never before have people heard that someone paid a bribe to ace the exam," he said. Bharadwaj cited the example of Bihar where some aspirants received the exam's question paper and answers in a ‘safe house' near Patna a day before it was conducted on May 5.

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