NEET-UG SC hearing: Here's the summary of the court order; next hearing posted for July 11

The Supreme Court today, July 8, heard the pleas alleging irregularities in the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test for Undergraduates (NEET-UG) and posted the next date of hearing to July 11. Today, the apex court was scheduled to hear more than 30 pleas about the irregularities of the medical entrance exam.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra heard the pleas and sought from the National Testing Agency (NTA) the time duration between the occurrence of the question paper leak and the conduct of the exam on May 5.

The apex court directed the NTA to inform it when the leak of the question paper took place for the first time. Additionally, the bench directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a report indicating the status of the investigation.

With extensive questioning, the CJI tried to understand the following points:

- If the breach happened at a systematic level

- If the entire exam process has been affected due to it

- If it would be possible to distinguish between miscreants and honest candidates

If it is difficult to ascertain the second and the third point, then a re-test might be ordered, the court said in its order.

It sought a thorough understanding from NTA on what steps have been taken so far to identify beneficiaries. It also made it clear that it is worried about the sanctity of the test.

All counsels who demand a re-test need to file a common submission of not more than 10 pages, the court ordered.

To recall, CBI's investigation with regards to the NEET UG question paper leak in Gujarat and Bihar is underway and the officials have arrested more than a dozen miscreants involved. Moreover, allegations of irregularities, including paper leaks, have led to protests in several cities and sparring between rival political parties.

Recently, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET-UG, told the apex court through their affidavits that scrapping the exam would be "counterproductive" and "seriously jeopardise" the future of lakhs of honest candidates in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality.