sc-adjourns-neet-ug-case-as-centre-agrees-to-exam-reforms

The Centre on Thursday assured the Supreme Court that it would implement all the corrective measures suggested by the seven-member expert panel tasked with reviewing the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) handling of the NEET-UG exam.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, informed the bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra that the report had been filed and the government would follow through on the committee’s recommendations.

“We are going to implement all the recommendations and it (matter) can be listed after six months,” Mehta told the court.

The court had earlier declined to annul the controversial NEET-UG 2024 examination, stating on August 2 that there was insufficient evidence to suggest a systemic leak or malpractice that compromised the exam’s integrity.

The seven-member expert panel, headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, was tasked with reviewing the NTA's functioning and recommending reforms to make the NEET-UG more transparent and free from malpractice.

In response to the panel’s report, Mehta stated that all recommendations would be implemented, though the full report was not placed before the court due to certain sensitive details.

“The matter is adjourned for three months. List this special leave petition in the month of April,” the bench said.

The panel had been asked to review various issues related to the NTA’s conduct, including the security breach at an examination centre in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, where unauthorised persons accessed the question papers. It also flagged concerns over the transportation of question papers by e-rickshaws and the distribution of incorrect question sets to candidates.

The court had earlier extended the time granted to the expert panel on October 21 to submit its report, which also addresses examination security, data security, technological enhancements, mental health support for students, and staff training.

More than 23 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 exam for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses.

In November 2024, the top court dismissed a petition that sought a review of the August 2 verdict, which had refused to allow a fresh NEET-UG examination.