The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and held that there was no data on record to indicate a systemic leak of question papers and other malpractices. Following is the chronology of events in the case:
* Feb 9, 2024: National Testing Agency (NTA) issues public notice for online submission of application form for NEET-UG 2024.
* May 5: NEET-UG 2024 exam conducted at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.
* May 17: SC seeks responses from Centre and NTA on plea alleging irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 held on May 5.
* June 4: Results for NEET-UG 2024 declared, 67 candidates bag top rank.
* June 11: Observing that sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 has been affected, SC seeks responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea seeking holding of a fresh examination on grounds of alleged question paper leak and other malpractices.
When will NEET UG Counselling 2024 begin? Check important points on MCC counselling registration
* June 13: Centre tells SC it has cancelled grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the NEET-UG examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses.
Centre says they will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time.
* June 14: SC seeks responses from Centre and NTA on a plea seeking a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.
Also Read: NEET UG 2024 final verdict: No NEET re-test, rules SC, says data on record not indicative of a systemic leak of paper
* June 18: SC says that even if there was “0.001 per cent negligence” on the part of anyone in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.
* June 23: As many as 813 of the 1,563 candidates earlier awarded grace marks in NEET-UG appear for a re-test, officials said.
* July 1: Number of candidates sharing top rank in medical entrance test NEET-UG reduced to 61 from 67 as NTA announces revised results.
* July 5: Scrapping NEET-UG 2024 exam in entirety would “seriously jeopardise” lakhs of honest candidates and not be rational in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality, Centre tells SC.
* July 5: NTA tells SC that cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest, especially to the career prospects of those who cleared it.
* July 10: Centre tells SC there was neither any indication of “mass malpractice” nor a localised set of candidates being benefitted leading to abnormal scores in NEET-UG 2024.
* July 18: SC directs NTA to declare by 12 noon of July 20 centre and city-wise results of NEET-UG 2024 while masking the identities of the aspirants.
* July 22: SC asks director of IIT-Delhi to set up a team of three experts that would go into a particular question of Physics asked in the NEET-UG 2024 examination and submit a report on the correct answer by next day noon.
* July 23: SC rules out cancellation, re-test of NEET-UG, 2024 exam. “There is absence of material to conclude that result of NEET-UG 2024 exam is vitiated or there is systemic breach,” says CJI D Y Chandrachud.
