NEET results 2024 cancelled? Supreme Court to hear petitions challenging NEET UG shortly

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will hear three petitions filed against the NEET UG results 2024 and irregularities today. A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will take up the petitions raising grievances related to the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG 2024) for admission to MBBS, BDS and other courses.

One of the petitions was filed by chief executive of EdTech firm ‘Physics Wallah’, who earlier said that his PIL challenged awarding of grace marks, transparencies of NTA, paper leak and other controversies. On June 11, the apex court, which heard the matter, refused to stay NEET counselling 2024, however asked the NTA’s response on the matter. It also noted that the ‘sanctity of the exam has been affected’.

Advocate J Sai Deepak told the reporters on Tuesday that he represents Alakh Pandey, who has collected signatures from about 20,000 students which clearly shows that close to about 70 to 80 marks have been awarded in grace marks randomly to at least 1,500 students. “We are challenging the arbitrary award of grace marks,” he added.

The top court has also listed the two pleas filed by Abdullah Mohammed Faiz and Jaripiti Kartheek separately. Pandey has urged the top court to set up an expert panel under its supervision to "enquire into the examination process and results of NEET (UG) 2024.”

Also read 63 cases of unfair means in NEET 2024, but no paper leak; sanctity not compromised: NTA officials

NEET UG exam 2024 was held by the NTA on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates took it. Although the NEET paper leak allegations were rubbished by the NTA, the irregularities in question paper distribution, grace marks and 67 students obtaining top rank has sparked controversy questioning the integrity and transparency in the largest medical entrance exam.

The NEET results 2024, which were expected to be declared on June 14, were announced well in advance on June 4, as the evaluation of the answer sheets got completed earlier, the NTA said. Notably, the NEET results 2024 was declared on the day Lok Sabha election results 2024.

Besides the petition filed in the Supreme Court, the allegations such as question paper leak and the grant of grace marks to over 1,500 medical aspirants have led to protests and filing of cases in seven high courts.

As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities.