NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak: No Re-exam, Supreme Court Says There Was No Systemic Breach

The Supreme Court informed on Friday that there was no systemic breach in the NEET-UG 2024 examination, affirming the integrity of the test despite allegations of a paper leak.The apex court however criticized the National Testing Agency (NTA) for its handling of the situation, urging it to avoid "flip-flops" that undermine student confidence. The court emphasized the need for the Centre to rectify issues this year to prevent future occurrences. The court acknowledged that the leak was confined to Patna and Hazaribagh in Bihar and Jharkhand, respectively. Last month, it had decided against a retest for NEET UG 2024, citing insufficient evidence of widespread compromise.Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted the necessity for improved technological measures, such as enhanced identity checks and CCTV monitoring, to secure the examination process. The Supreme Court expanded the remit of the Centre-appointed panel led by former ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan, tasking it with reviewing the NTA's functioning and suggesting examination reforms. The panel is expected to submit its report by September 30. Pertinent to mention that despite the uproar over alleged irregularities, including accusations of question paper leaks and grace marks awarded to over 1,500 students, the court found no evidence of a systemic leak that would warrant invalidating the results for the 24 lakh candidates who took the exam on May 5.