In a recent move, a learning app filed a petition alleging exam rigging in the recently held NEET-UG exams, and the Supreme Court responded by sending a notice to the National Testing Agency (NTA) today. The NTA has been given a deadline by the court to reply to the notice by July 8, which is when the case will be heard.
The petition presents grave doubts regarding the reliability of the May 5 NEET-UG exam. The exam results, which were made public on June 4, have been entangled in controversy due to claims of fraud and anomalies. The petitioners assert that the awarding of grace marks to more than 1,500 students has had a substantial effect on the exam's fairness and overall rankings, as reported by NDTV.
Addressing the NEET controversy, President Droupadi Murmu stated earlier today, during a joint session of Parliament, that the government is dedicated to looking into the claims of exam paper leaks.
"The government is dedicated to carrying out a fair investigation and making sure that those responsible for the recent paper leak incidents receive the harshest punishment possible," she said.
Earlier, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while addressing a press briefing, stated, "We are committed to holding zero-error exams, and a high-level committee is being formed to improve NTA functioning. I want to assure the students that this is your government. Have faith; the interest of students is important to us."
Apart from the Supreme Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been assigned the responsibility of investigating multiple cases concerning the purported paper leak and exam manipulation.
The CBI has made its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case, taking into custody two people from Patna, officials said Thursday.
Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination, where they were given leaked papers and answer keys, the officials said.
The CBI has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.
The petitioners contended for students' access to their Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, supported by the coaching center and other students. On the other hand, the case's presiding judges, Justices Manoj Mishra and SVN Bhatti, questioned the alleged violations of fundamental rights by the NTA.
