Final NEET results 2024 within two days, says Dharmendra Pradhan; hails Supreme Court verdict

NEW DELHI : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hailed the Supreme Court's decision on the NEET UG 2024 issue, saying truth has prevailed, and announced that the final NEET results 2024 will be declared within two days. The top court dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that the exam was "vitiated" on account of "systemic breach" of its sanctity.

"Today’s verdict on NEET-UG will put speculations to rest and provide a sigh of relief to lakhs of hard working and honest students. Grateful to Hon’ble Supreme Court for the landmark verdict that upholds the interest of students. The judgement will open the eyes of those who rubbished the Indian examination system and grabbed this opportunity for vested interests, scoring political brownies and stoking “civil unrest and anarchy”. Shri Rahul Gandhi should apologise for playing with the sentiments of lakhs of students and their parents as well as for trying to gain political mileage out of it," the education minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The interim verdict, to be followed by a detailed and reasoned order, came as a shot in the arm for the embattled BJP-led NDA government and the National Testing Agency (NTA), which were facing strong criticism and protests, on streets and in Parliament, over alleged large-scale malpractices like question paper leak, fraud and impersonation in the test held on May 5.

"Satyamev Jayate'. Truth has prevailed," Pradhan said at a press conference here, welcoming the court's decision. The Centre had been saying there was no large-scale leak and the Supreme Court has upheld that, he said and added that the government has zero tolerance for any kind of breach and the sanctity of exams is "supreme for us". If anybody is found involved in exam irregularities, they will not be spared, the education minister said.

Dharmendra Pradhan said the NTA will announce the final results for the NEET-UG within two days and added that the exam's merit list will be revised according to the observations made by the Supreme Court. Attacking the opposition, he alleged that it is trying to create "anarchy and civil unrest" over the NEET issue.

(with inputs from PTI)