No Large-Scale Malpractice, NEET-UG Counselling From July 3rd Week: Centre To Supreme Court

New Delhi: In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the Union Government on Wednesday stated that there were no evidence of widespread malpractice that showed a certain set of students benefiting. The Centre maintained that it was not in favour of holding a retest as it would be against the interests of 24 lakh NEET-UG aspirants based on "unsubstantiated suspicions."

The Centre further revealed that it intends to kickstart the counselling process from third week of July in four phases. The counselling stage is the final lap before NEET-UG candidates, who appeared for the test on May 5, will get admitted to medical colleges across India based on their ranks. The Centre mentioned in its affidavit that the they came to this conclusion after IIT Madras experts technically analysed the data, which revealed that the average increase in marks across centres is attributed to the fact that the syllabus was cut by 25%. The Centre further stated that marks distributed were spread across a bell-curve, which is normal for any large-scale examinations.

The Centre also informed that the counselling process of any candidate found to have benefitted due to unfair means will be cancelled at any point during the counselling phase or even after. Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud-led bench would be hearing a batch of petitions today. Among the petitioners, many have favoured a retest while the rest have petitioned against it. 

On Monday, the SC bench had observed that the exam has been comprised after the papers were leaked on social media channels like Twitter and Telegram. The top court further stated that in such a scenario, a retest can be considered. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had reiterated before the SC that in absence of any evidence of large-scale breach, a retest would prove "counterproductive" and "seriously jeopardise" the careers of lakhs of honest aspirants.