NEET-UG row: NTA plea seeking transfer of cases from HCs to SC to be taken up on July 8

A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the submission of the NTA counsel that several pleas, seeking cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 on the allegations of question paper leak and other malpractices, are pending in several high courts.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday decided to examine a plea by the National Testing Agency for the transfer of petitions pending in various High Courts to the apex court with regard to NEET UG 2024 which is marred by allegations of paper leakage and other malpractices.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the notice to those who filed their respective pleas in Delhi, Calcutta, Chhattisgarh and other High Courts and scheduled the matter for consideration on July 8.

Lawyers representing the aggrieved side raised the issue of paper leakage in Bihar and sought a direction from the court to suspend the counselling set to begin on July 6.

The court, however, said it had earlier too rejected such a request.

During the hearing, the bench allowed the NTA to approach the High Court in the petitions which questioned the awarding of grace marks with the apex court's June 13 order approving a fresh test for those 1563 candidates.

A counsel, however, contended that the NTA obtained the apex court's order on Thursday by concealment of vital facts.

On June 13, the Supreme Court had approved a request by the Union government to withdraw compensatory or grace marks allotted to 1563 candidates of NEET-UG 2024 for time loss and hold an optional re-test for them on June 23 and declare the result on June 30.

Several aspirants of the medical entrance exam NEET have alleged inflation of marks which led to a record 67 candidates bagging the top rank, including six from the same exam centre.

The National Testing Agency, however, denied any irregularities and said the changes made in the NCERT textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres are some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.