NEET Controversy LIVE Updates: Supreme Court Seeks NTA's Response on Paper Leak Allegations

"The system lacks transparency and accountability," one of the protesters responded on the NEET-UG examination results row.

On the NEET-UG exam results row, a protester stated, "Government employees get training to conduct the polls during elections. Why don't the guards on duty for such important exams get any training for the same?"

Massive outrage across the country over the NEET-UG examination results row as anguished students staged protest in the national capital. Mother of the one of the protestors from Kota said, "Have seen how hardship these students go through while studying for this exam. This is injustice. This is a mess."

On NEET-UG examination results row, Supreme Court Lawyer, Advocate Sumeer Sodhi said, “I believe it's too early to call it NEET scam. There might be irregularities and goof-ups. But we can't rule out the possibility of a scam. Let the probe take place.” 

NEET Aspirant Bhumi Thakur, while speaking to Arnab Goswami said, "There should be a stay on the counselling process. We got the wrong question paper first and got the correct one 1 hour 15 minutes later."
 

On the possibility of the involvement of coaching centres in the alleged NEET-UG examinations scam, founder and CEO of Physics Wallah, Alakh Pandey said he can’t deny the possibility. 

He said, "If there is paper leak, re-examination is the only way."
 

Supreme Court Advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, who is representing NEET-UG student in the top court, “The entire examination process needs to be conducted again, there's no other way.”

On NEET-UG results row, founder and CEO of Physics Wallah Alakh Pande said, “It is certainly NEET scam. The inflation in the ranks is the scam. So many first-rank holders is practically impossible. There is no provision for grace marks for NEET in the NTA booklet. Students are either given extra time or a retest is conducted."

Anger grows over NEET-UG results as students and aspirants staged pan-India protests questioning exam process. The anguished students demanded a CBI probe into the alleged NEET scam. One of NEET aspirant told Republic TV, “Our results were preponed from June 14 to June 4. Was NTA trying to hide its mistakes behind the hustle and bustle of elections?”

Director General of National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday responded to the notice issued to the agency over NEET-UG 2024 paper leak row, saying, "NTA is a professional organisation. Whatever we do, it is transparent and in the public domain. We share all the information with the candidates. There should not be any apprehension that the integrity of the examination has been compromised."
 

On NEET-UG 2024 paper leak row, Lawyer Dinesh Jotwani said, “The National Testing Agency (NTA) was issued a notice today and was asked to file a reply in the form of an affidavit. This is a big development.”

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Alakh Pandey, Founder of Physics Wallah has also moved to the Supreme Court seeking justice for NEET aspirants. “Going to the Hon'ble Supreme Court with our advocate @jsaideepak, today at 10:30 am, to get our petition against NTA mentioned. I believe in the court and our judiciary system. Our students will get justice,” he tweeted.

NEET Result was declared on June 4.  A staggering 67 students achieved a flawless score of 720, including six individuals from the same examination center. This occurrence heightened concerns and cast doubts on the fairness of the examination process.

#BREAKING | SC Issues Notice to NTA Over Alleged Irregularities in NEET 2024 | #WATCH 
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.#NEET2024 #NTA #SC #NEETRow pic.twitter.com/AZ9wAktONL

— Republic (@republic) June 11, 2024

The Supreme Court has issued a notice regarding the plea seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam due to an alleged paper leak. The court has requested a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) regarding the matter. Additionally, the court has scheduled the hearing for July 8, along with another similar plea related to the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Read full story here.

Justice Asmanullah: "The sanctity of the examination has been compromised, so we need answers from the respondents."

Justice Vikram Nath: "Issue notice. In the meantime, the NTA will file its response. Let the counseling start; we are not halting the counseling process."

The NEET controversy has drawn significant political attention. Various political parties have raised concerns about the exam's authenticity, urging for a fresh examination to restore credibility. Issues highlighted include allegations of irregularities and demands for re-examination.

In response to the escalating situation, the NTA on Saturday announced that the education ministry has formed a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to more than 1,500 candidates. This move addresses allegations of inflated scores contributing to the unprecedented number of top ranks in the NEET-UG exam.

Advocate J Sai Deepak introduced a new petition challenging the NEET results. Justice Vikram Nath advised the advocate to bring the petition before the Registry for routing through the Chief Justice. The counsel highlighted the urgency due to the upcoming counseling sessions and mentioned a related petition scheduled for today's hearing. Despite the counsel's request to tag the new petition with today's hearing, Justice Vikram Nath insisted that it must be routed through the Chief Justice via the Registry for proper listing.

On June 10, scores of students protested in Delhi, demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities. The protests, led by Left-affiliated student unions, took place near the education ministry and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) near the NTA headquarters.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the exam, is under intense scrutiny. Allegations include the mismanagement of the exam, the awarding of grace marks, and the overall handling of the examination process. Many students are now calling for a re-examination to ensure fairness and transparency.

The petition, filed on June 1, stems from a Bihar police investigation into the alleged paper leak. The controversy escalated after the results were declared on June 4, with an unprecedented scenario of 67 students scoring a perfect 720/720, including six from the same examination center, raising serious suspicions of irregularities.