NEET 2024 Controversy: Supreme Court's Verdict on Exam Integrity, Alleged Malpractice, and Future Reforms

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 has been marred by controversies, raising serious concerns about the integrity of one of India’s most crucial entrance examinations for medical admissions. The Supreme Court, in its judgment in Vanshika Yadav vs. Union of India & Ors, addressed allegations of malpractice, paper leaks, and the improper awarding of compensatory marks. This case brought forth multiple petitions challenging the examination’s fairness and called for either a complete re-examination or stringent reforms. The court, while dismissing the plea for a re-test, made crucial observations and directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to ensure better transparency and security in future exams.

Background of the Case

NEET is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and serves as the gateway for students aspiring to enter the medical profession. The 2024 edition of NEET saw over 23 lakh candidates appearing across 4750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad. However, soon after the exam, reports surfaced about question paper leaks and other irregularities. FIRs were filed in multiple states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, leading to a large-scale investigation.

Further fueling concerns was the NTA’s decision to award compensatory marks to 1,563 candidates who had lost time due to exam center errors. This decision resulted in some candidates receiving full 720/720 marks, an unprecedented event in NEET history. When the results were announced on June 4, 2024, it was discovered that many top-ranking students had benefited from grace marks, causing outrage and leading to legal action.

Petitioners’ Arguments

The petitioners, represented by senior advocates, put forth several arguments highlighting the flaws in NEET 2024:

Alleged Paper Leak: They claimed that the NEET question paper was leaked and circulated illegally before the examination, particularly in Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) and Patna (Bihar). They cited reports from the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit, which had arrested individuals involved in the scam.
Integrity of the Exam Compromised: The petitioners argued that the leak was not an isolated incident but part of a larger systemic failure. They pointed out discrepancies in score distributions, claiming that the unusually high number of students scoring full marks indicated unfair practices.
Improper Awarding of Compensatory Marks: They challenged the NTA’s decision to grant grace marks, arguing that it unfairly benefited certain candidates while putting others at a disadvantage.
Need for a Re-Test: Given the magnitude of the irregularities, the petitioners demanded the cancellation of NEET 2024 and the conduct of a fresh examination to ensure fairness.
Security Lapses: They pointed out multiple flaws in NTA’s exam security measures, including poor handling of question papers, reliance on private logistics firms, and weak surveillance at examination centers.

Respondents’ Arguments

The NTA and the Union of India countered these claims, asserting that NEET 2024 was conducted fairly, with only a few isolated incidents of malpractice.

No Systemic Malpractice: They maintained that while there were some instances of wrongdoing, such as the paper leak in Hazaribagh and Patna, these were localized incidents and did not affect the overall integrity of the examination.
Grace Marks Issue Addressed: They stated that the issue of compensatory marks had been resolved by revoking the grace marks and offering affected students the option of a re-test, ensuring fairness.
Higher Scores Due to Syllabus Reduction: The NTA attributed the increase in high scores to a 25% reduction in syllabus, leading to an easier paper compared to previous years.
Ensuring Fairness for Genuine Candidates: The government argued that canceling NEET 2024 would unfairly punish millions of students who had studied diligently and performed well.

Supreme Court’s Observations

The Supreme Court, after reviewing all arguments and evidence, made several key observations:

Presence of a Paper Leak: The court acknowledged that there was a confirmed paper leak in some locations, but there was insufficient evidence to prove a nationwide, systemic breach.
Compensatory Marks Controversy: The court criticized the NTA’s decision-making process, stating that the awarding of grace marks was arbitrary and should have been handled with more transparency.
No Need for a Re-Test: The court ruled that the identified cases of malpractice were limited in scale and that a complete re-exam would be disproportionate, negatively affecting honest students.
Security Measures Need Improvement: The judgment highlighted several lapses in the conduct of the examination and directed NTA to strengthen security measures for future exams.

Final Verdict and Directions

The Supreme Court dismissed the petitions seeking the cancellation of NEET 2024 but issued specific directions to ensure transparency and integrity in future examinations:

Stronger Exam Security: The court instructed the NTA to improve its examination security, particularly in handling question papers, preventing leaks, and monitoring logistics.
Revising Answer Key and Ranks: The NTA was directed to update ranks based on a corrected answer key, ensuring that no candidate benefitted unfairly from erroneous scoring.
Identification of Malpractice Beneficiaries: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was ordered to continue its investigation and take stringent action against students who were found guilty of fraud.
Long-Term Reforms: The government was advised to form a high-level committee to review and strengthen examination procedures for NEET and other national-level entrance tests.

Impact of the Judgment

This ruling has significant implications for the education system in India:

Ensuring Fairness: While the court refrained from canceling the exam, its verdict ensures that genuine students are not unfairly penalized.
Enhanced Exam Security: The NTA will now be under greater scrutiny to adopt better security measures and prevent future leaks.
Stronger Regulatory Oversight: The government may consider legislative changes to make the conduct of national-level exams more foolproof.
Setting a Legal Precedent: This case will serve as a benchmark for future disputes related to examination malpractices.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s judgment on NEET 2024 highlights the complexities involved in ensuring the fairness of high-stakes entrance exams. While the court recognized the flaws in this year’s exam, it also underscored the importance of protecting the rights of honest students. Moving forward, this ruling is expected to drive critical reforms in the conduct of NEET and similar examinations, reinforcing public confidence in the country’s education system.

Petitioner Name: Vanshika Yadav.
Respondent Name: Union of India & Ors.
Judgment By: Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala, Justice Manoj Misra.
Place Of Incident: Hazaribagh, Patna, and other locations.
Judgment Date: 01-08-2024.

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