The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Centre and National Testing Agency along with seeking a response to the pleas linked to alleged paper leaks and 'malpractices' in NEET UG examination 2024.
The apex court bench during the hearing said, "If there is 0.001% negligence on the part of anyone it should be thoroughly dealt with."
The court also noted the effort and hard work that medical aspirants had put into preparing for one of the toughest entrance exams in the country.
The court reportedly stated, "Children have prepared for the exams, we cannot forget their labour."
Accordng to Hindustan Times report, Justice Vikram Nath told the NTA that the Supreme Court expects timely action from it. He mentioned, "Let us hear the petitions on July 8."
The NEET-UG exam took place on May 5 at 4,750 centers across 571 cities in India. The results were announced on June 4.
However, after the results were out, parents and teachers raised concerns about 1,563 students receiving grace marks.
The issue escalated into a major controversy, with political parties criticizing each other. Earlier this month, the agency informed the Supreme Court that it would invalidate the exam for those who received grace marks.
These students will have a chance to retake the test on June 23, and the results will be announced before June 30.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has told the media that the government would impose strict consequences on NTA officials if they were found responsible for any misconduct during the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
"On the recommendations of the Supreme Court, the order has been given for re-test of 1,563 candidates. Some irregularities have come to light in two places. I assure students and parents that the government has taken this seriously," Pradhan had told ANI.
The National Testing Agency conducts NEET every year and it is the main entrance exam for medical and allied educational fields.
