Today, Friday, June 21, the Supreme Court (SC) refused to defer the counselling for this year's controversial National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 examination, scheduled to commence on July 6, noting that it is not an "open and shut" process, reports PTI.
According to the report, the court issued notices to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Centre, and others in response to a petition seeking the cancellation of the exam due to alleged irregularities in its conduct on May 5.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti has scheduled the hearing of this matter on July 8, along with other pending pleas concerning the examination's conduct.
The petitioners' counsel requested the bench to pause the counselling process for two days since the court is set to hear the related pleas on July 8, reports PTI.
"I am not seeking any stay of counselling. I am only praying that the counselling, which is scheduled to be held on July 6, may be paused for two days only. The reason being that the main matter is listed on July 8," the lawyer argued.
The bench observed, "We have been hearing the same statement. Don't think otherwise for interrupting you. Counselling does not mean open and shut. It is a process. That process commences on July 6."
When the bench inquired about the duration of the first round of counselling, a lawyer involved indicated that it would last around a week.
Refusing to defer the counselling process, the bench stated that the counsel for the NTA, the Centre, and other respondents might file their responses to the plea within two weeks, states the report.
The bench also addressed a separate application seeking certain directions to the NTA. The applicant's counsel raised the issue of a re-test scheduled for June 23, alleging that the NTA had withheld some crucial information.
The bench then directed the NTA's counsel to file a response to the application, with the hearing set for July 8, reports PTI.
On June 13, the Centre informed the apex court that the decision to award grace marks to 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates for MBBS, BDS, and other courses had been cancelled, offering them the option to retake the exam on June 23.
During Friday's hearing, the applicant's counsel highlighted the stress candidates would endure by retaking the exam. The bench remarked, "Everything can be set aside when there is a chance of setting aside the May 5 main examination."
"Are you worried about them or are you worried about the other candidates who are not being allowed to take the examination?" the bench queried the counsel. "What is this argument?" the bench added.
The apex court also addressed a separate petition seeking an NTA directive to allow a candidate with a medical condition to appear in the re-test.
The petitioner's counsel noted that prior to the decision allowing 1,563 candidates to retake the exam, the petitioner had requested permission for re-examination and had filed a writ petition before the Telangana High Court, reports PTI.
The bench informed the NTA's counsel that the petitioner was yet to receive a response to his representation as of that morning. The apex court instructed the NTA to decide on the representation by 4 pm. that day and communicate the decision to the petitioner via email.
Issuing notices to the NTA and others for their responses to the plea, the bench scheduled the hearing for July 8.
