SC seeks details, says hold re-test if exam sanctity is ‘lost’

New Delhi: Observing that a re-test has to be ordered if sanctity of the NEET-UG 2024 is “lost”, the Supreme Court on Monday sought information from the National Testing Agency and the CBI about timing of question paper leak and duration between leak and actual test.

The apex court also sought number of wrongdoers identified so far and methodology adopted for the paper leak. “One thing is clear that leak of question paper has taken place,” a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said, adding that extent of question paper leak and the beneficiaries across geographical boundaries have to be ascertained before the court may order re-test in the controversy-ridden medical entrance exam conducted on May 5.

Posting for July 11 the next hearing on a batch of pleas alleging irregularities in the NEET-UG, the court directed the investigating officer of the CBI, which is conducting probe into the allegations of malpractices, OMR sheet manipulation, impersonation and cheating, to place before it a report indicating the status of probe.

Referring to legal position on ordering re-test, the top court said it will have to be “scrutinised whether the alleged breach has taken place at systemic level, whether the breach has affected integrity of the entire exam process and whether it is possible to segregate the beneficiaries of fraud from the untainted students”. “In a situation where breach affects the entirety of process and it is not possible to segregate the beneficiaries from others, it may be necessary to order a re-test,” said the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

It said the NTA must disclose about the steps taken so far for identification of beneficiaries of wrongdoings. The bench asked the NTA to apprise it about the steps taken to identify the centres and cities where the question paper leak took place, the modalities followed for identifying the beneficiaries.