Scrapping NEET-UG 2024 not rational, will jeopardise interest of honest candidates: Centre to SC

New Delhi: The Union government has told the Supreme Court that scrapping the NEET-UG exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise lakhs of honest candidates in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality of the all India test held on May 5 for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges across the country.

In an affidavit, the Centre opposed before the court a plea to cancel the NEET exam, also saying it has already asked the premier investigation agency, CBI to conduct a comprehensive probe into the entire gamut of some alleged instances of irregularities, cheating, impersonation, malpractices reported during the conduct of NEET(UG) 2024 Examination.

However with regard to plea for re-examination, the Education Ministry said, "In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared."

The government maintained in any examination, there are competing rights that have been created whereby the interests of a large number of students who have taken the examination without adopting any alleged unfair means must not also be jeopardised.

"The Union of India duly appreciates that the confidentiality of the question papers is the utmost priority in any examination and that if due to some criminality at the behest of some criminal elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt sternly and with the full force of law to ensure that they are punished," it said.

The government also maintained it adopted solution oriented approach in the matter and did not consider it as adversarial litigation.

The Education Ministry filed the affidavit as the Supreme Court's bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud is set to take up a batch of matter on July 8 seeking a direction for re-test.

As the NEET UG, 2024 was marred by allegations of paper leakage and other malpractices, the government said a high-level committee of experts headed by Dr K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman, ISRO and Chairman, BoG, IIT Kanpur, has been set up to suggest effective measures for conducting transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations by the National Testing Agency.

The committee would make recommendations on reforms in mechanism of examination process, improvement in data security protocols and structure and functioning of NTA.

The government said it remains committed towards protecting the interests of lakhs of students who have attempted the question papers fairly and after years of hardwork, without trying to obtain any illegal advantage.

"While genuine concerns based on proven facts must be addressed other prayers merely based on conjectures and surmises without any basis in fact must be rejected so as, not to cause unnecessary suffering and distress to honest examinees and their families," it said.

The CBI has registered the case on June 23, 2024 and made some arrests in its investigation into alleged irregularities including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust, destruction of evidence by the candidates, institutes and middlemen.

The government also pointed out Parliament has enacted Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 on February 12, 2024 to ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination. The Act, brought into effect on June 21, 2024, provides for stringent punishment for offences related to unfair means in public examinations. Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 under the Act have also been notified on June 23, 2024.