'Even If 0.001% Negligence...': Supreme Court Slams Exam Body NTA Over NEET Row

NEET 2024 Exam Result Row Latest News: With the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination facing all-around criticism, the Supreme Court has slammed the National Testing Agency for the alleged irregularities and negligence in conducting the prestigious national exam for medical college aspirants. "Even if there's 0.001% negligence on anyone's part, it should be thoroughly dealt with," said the top Court while hearing the petitions filed by aspirants challenging the exam result.

The results for the medical entrance examination, taken by 2.4 million students on May 5, were announced on June 4. Allegations of an exam paper leak soon emerged, with 67 students reportedly achieving perfect scores of 720/720.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 8. The top court emphasized the importance of fairness in the examination process, stating, "As an agency conducting the examination, you must act fairly. If there is a mistake, acknowledge it and outline the corrective action. This approach inspires confidence in your performance."

Grace marks were allegedly given to compensate for lost time at the exam centres. Numerous student organizations have protested against the alleged NEET irregularities, including incidents of incorrect question papers being distributed, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets being damaged, and delays in sheet distribution.

Last week, the National Testing Agency (NTA) informed the Supreme Court that the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates in the NEET-UG exam would be revoked, offering these candidates the opportunity to retake the exam on June 23. The results of the re-test are expected to be released before June 30.

Candidates who opt not to retake the exam will have their original scores reinstated, minus the extra marks.

Bihar police have arrested 13 people in connection with an alleged NEET paper -leak while the Gujarat Police have arrested some persons accused of compromising an entire exam centre in Bharuch.