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While dismissing pleas for re-test on grounds of paper leak and other malpractices, the Supreme Court has said that there is no evidence to conclude that the entire result of NEET-UG, 2024 was vitiated and there was a "systemic breach" in the sanctity of the examination. This was stated in a report by PTI.
On July 23, the top court dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam and the order was uploaded on Wednesday night, July 24.
"At the present stage, there is an absence of material on the record to lead to the conclusion that the entire result of the examination stands vitiated or that there was a systemic breach in the sanctity of the examination," said the 14-page interim order penned by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud.
The detailed and reasoned judgement on as many as 40 petitions would be delivered later.
It said ordering a re-test this year "would be replete with serious consequences for over two million students who have appeared in the examination".
Following this, the order further stated, "The fact that a leak of the NEET (UG) 2024 paper took place at Hazaribagh in the state of Jharkhand and at Patna in the state of Bihar is not in dispute."
CBI report
Referring to the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) status report, the order said that the probe is continuing and as per the evidence, which emerged during the probe so far, there were about 155 students, who took tests at examination centres in Hazaribagh and Patna, who are prima facie beneficiaries of the fraud.
The order further mentioned, "If the investigation reveals the involvement of an increased number of beneficiaries over and above those who are suspects at the present stage, the action shall be pursued against every student found to be involved in wrongdoing at any stage, notwithstanding the completion of the counselling process," it said.
No student, who is revealed to have engaged in fraud would be entitled to claim a vested right in continuation of the admission in the future under the findings in this judgment, it said.
It took note of the submissions of the Centre that it has constituted a seven-member expert committee chaired by K Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to suggest measures to strengthen the examination mechanism to ensure fair play.
"The Committee will abide by such further directions as may be issued by this Court in its final judgment and order in regard to the areas which should be enquired into by it so as to ensure that (i) the process of conducting the NEET (UG) and other examinations falling within the remit of the NTA is duly strengthened; and (ii) the instances which came to light during the course of the present year are not repeated in the future," it said.