NEET 2024 Paper Leak matter reaches Supreme Court, Plea seeking Stay on Results declaration Junked

New Delhi: The paper leak scandal involving the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 Exam has now reached the Supreme Court. While the bench refused to grant a stay on the exam results, it has agreed to consider the matter and issue notice on the Public Interest Litigation seeking re-conduction of the NEET UG exams in light of the alleged malpractices and paper leak scam.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has posted the matter for further hearing after the summer vacations (in July). However, the CJI observed that the results of 'an all-India exam' cannot be stayed at the moment, Live Law has reported.

"We will keep it after the summer break, but cannot stay the results of an all-India exam," observed the top court bench.

Medical Dialogues had reported that the NEET UG aspirants have been demanding re-conduction of the exam citing the reports of paper-leak in the common entrance test for admission to UG medical courses. Earlier, around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of NEET-UG exam.

Also Read: NEET Paper Leak Scandal Rocks Bihar: Questions-Answers allegedly given to 20 Aspirants Day Before Exam

Patna police sources had previously claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.

Then, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange of giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.

EOU had earlier mentioned in a release that as per the investigation, the question papers of NEET-UG and their answers were provided to around 35 aspirants before the May 5 exam.

Recently a PIL was filed before the Patna High Court demanding cancellation of the exam and seeking an investigation of the paper leak scam by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Also Read: NEET paper leak scam: Candidates paid up to Rs 50 lakhs for getting question papers in advance, reveals Bihar EOU

As per the latest media report by Live Law, the matter has reached the Supreme Court as well. Filing a PIL in this connection, the petitioner have alleged that the NEET UG question paper was leaked and it amounted to unfair practices hampering the quality of the result. They argued that the examination held on May 5 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) was riddled with malpractices as various instances of paper leak came to the knowledge of the petitioner. 

Bar and Bench has reported that the plea claimed that during the NEET exam in Rajasthan, reports from national dailies revealed that the question paper was leaked before the test date and wrong question papers were given to the candidates which caused confusion and chaos.

"More concerning incidents have been seen at Patna, Bihar wherein numerous individuals have been apprehended by the State police on credible information of such accused having received the question paper a day prior to the said examination," further stated the plea.

Contending that the alleged paper leak was violative of Article 14 as it gave an undue advantage to some candidates over others who chose to attempt the exam fairly, the plea stated, "The NEET UG paper leak infringes upon the fundamental right to equality and equal opportunities guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution of India as paper leak gives unfair advantage to some selected group of students, thereby compromising the rights of other meritorious students. It is respectfully submitted that paper leak undermines the merit-based selection process for medical colleges, affecting the future of countless aspiring doctors. The leakage skews the results in favour of those who had access to the leaked papers, disregarding the efforts of honest and meritorious candidates. The importance of the said examination is detailed hereunder."

The plea further submitted that the leakage of question paper raises serious concerns regarding the security measures in place to safeguard the integrity of the examination process.

"This Hon'ble Court in a similar situation of widespread paper leak of All India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Entrance Test, 2015 held under the aegis of CBSE in the case of Tanvi Sarwal Versus Central Board of Secondary Education & Ors. (2015) 6 SCC 573, cancelled the examination and directed the CBSE to conduct fresh examination within 4 weeks and further directed the investigation agencies to expedite the investigation process in the context of such incident," the plea pointed out.

The petitioner sought several reliefs such as direction on the authorities to conduct fresh NEET UG 2024 exam after adopting necessary measures to prevent paper leak and other malpractice, direction to all States to submit status reports concerning NEET UG 2024 paper leak in their respective jurisdiction, issuance of appropriate guidelines to prevent any further incidents of paper leaks or administrative errors, issuing direction to all the States to set up SITs to investigate the incidents of NEET G 2024 paper leak and submission of reports in time bound manner, etc.

Also Read: Aspirants demand re-conduction of NEET UG 2024 exam amidst paper leak scandal