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Updated October 4th, 2021 at 14:08 IST

NEET 2021 cancellation plea dismissed: SC says 'Lakhs of students can't be made to suffer'

NEET 2021: Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking cancellation of NEET-UG 2021 over alleged paper leak and malpractices in the exam.

Reported by: Nandini Verma
NEET 2021
Image: ANI | Image:self
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Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG exam 2021. Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and BR Gavai heard the plea today, October 4 and dismissed it. The top court said that around seven lakhs candidates who appeared in the national level medical entrance exam, NEET 2021 will suffer if the exam is cancelled. 

National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 on September 12, 2021. Around seven lakh candidates had registered for the exam. The petition was filed by advocate Pradeep Gupta and advocate Ninad Dogra. The petition seeked the conduct of fresh exams for NEET-UG in the wake of allegations about widespread use of malpractices and paper leak. 

 "Instances of impersonation and paper leakage cannot be to the detriment to the lakhs of students who have appeared for the exam", the Supreme Court said while dismissing the plea. 

The top court called the petitioner 'adventurous', and warned the petitioner that costs might be imposed for filing such a writ petition. "When people come to you, don't you say that these will be dismissed with cost? You argue, we'll deal with this at length and we'll deal with you specially. We are suggesting that the costs be recovered from you and not from the Petitioners," the Court had said.  The bench initially proposed to dismiss the writ petition with Rs 5 lakhs costs. However, the Court later omitted the costs considering the counsel's request. 

"The counsel submitted that already 5 FIRs have been filed in different parts of the country over the reports of paper leakage and impersonation in the NEET exam. The CBI has also registered FIRs," he said.

"Even if one meritorious candidate is denied admission, that will be unfair. Kindly call a report from the NTA", the counsel submitted. The papers were leaked within 20 minutes of the starting of exams and solutions were shared in Whatsapp, he added. "We are not discounting the allegations. But how can 5 FIRs affect the exams taken by lakhs of students", Justice Rao asked."You know that the court will not cancel the exam in which 7.5 lakh people have taken the exam. This exam was conducted nationally & not locally", Justice Rao told the counsel.

SC dismisses NEET-UG 2021 cancellation plea

"The petitioner seeks setting aside the NEET UG Exam & direct NTA to conduct the exam afresh. The basis is that CBI has registered 3 FIR's wherein it has stated that there has been impersonation of the candidates. The Counsel submits that there have been reports in the press of NEET 2021 papers being leaked and the same was not conducted in fair & transparent manner. Instances of impersonation and paper leakage cannot be to the detriment to the lakhs of students who have appeared for the exam", the bench stated in the order dismissing the writ petition.  

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Published October 4th, 2021 at 14:08 IST

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