NTA 'lapses' in NEET UG 2024: SC closes case as Centre assures to implement suggested reforms

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday closed a matter over the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in holding last year's NEET-UG after the Centre assured of implementing exam reforms suggested by its expert panel. A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi took note of the Centre's compliance reports on the issue and the submissions of its solicitor general Tushar Mehta as it disposed of the plea.

Mehta said the Centre had accepted all the suggestions of the seven-member panel, except one--NTA conducting online NEET exams--for the time being. “Over 26 lakh students take up NEET across India and the government will have to ascertain availability of internet and computers… this will take some time,” he said, “but the report (of the expert panel) has been accepted”. Nothing survived in the case and it can be disposed of, Mehta added.

The bench noted the submissions and the developments, saying no further order was required. The top court on August 2, last year, refused to annul the contentious NEET-UG of 2024, saying there was no sufficient material on record to indicate a systemic leak or malpractice compromising the integrity of the examination. It had expanded the remit of the seven-member expert panel, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, to review NTA's functioning and recommend exam reforms to make the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate), transparent and free from malpractices.

On January 2, Mehta said the Centre-appointed committee filed its report and assured that the government would implement all of the panel's recommendations. On October 21 last year, the top court extended the time granted to the Centre-appointed expert panel to file its report on exam reforms. The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admission in undergraduate medical programs. While expanding the scope of the expert panel, the top court had flagged multiple lapses on the part of NTA like the security breach at an examination centre in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh where the rear door of the strongroom was opened and unauthorised people were permitted to access question papers; transportation of question papers by e-rickshaws and distribution of wrong set of question papers among the candidates.

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Aside from Radhakrishnan, other panel members were Randeep Guleria, B J Rao, Ramamurthy K, Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal and Govind Jaiswal. The bench said the remit of the committee, in addition to the areas suggested by the Centre and the NTA, should encompass examination security and administration, data security and technological enhancements. The bench had asked it to further include policy and stakeholder engagement, collaboration and international cooperation, and recommendations for providing mental health support to students and training of NTA staff.

Over 23 lakh students took up the NEET-UG in 2024 for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses. In November last year, the top court dismissed a petition seeking review of the August 2 verdict by which it had refused to allow a fresh NEET-UG 2024 examination.