New Delhi: The Supreme Court has adjourned the NEET UG hearing till July 18 as responses from the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) are yet to be received by some parties.
Brief Hearing Overview
During the brief hearing, counsel for the petitioners requested the pleas to be listed on July 15. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed his unavailability on that date. Consequently, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, heading the bench, announced that the further hearing will take place on Thursday, July 18.
CBI Status Report
The bench acknowledged receiving a status report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the progress of the probe into alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET UG 2024.
Centre’s Affidavit
The Centre had informed the Supreme Court that data analytics of the NEET UG 2024 results by IIT Madras found “no abnormality,” indicating no signs of mass malpractice or localized benefit to certain candidates.
Data Analytics
On July 8, the court had inquired about the feasibility of using data analytics to identify suspect cases. The Centre’s affidavit revealed that city-wise and centre-wise analyses for 2023 and 2024 showed no abnormal indications. The analysis covered the top 1.4 lakh ranks and concluded that there were no signs of mass malpractice or localized advantages.
Increased Marks Explanation
The affidavit also noted an overall increase in marks, specifically in the 550 to 720 range, across various cities and centres. This increase is attributed to a 25% reduction in syllabus, with high scorers spread across multiple locations, reducing the likelihood of malpractice.
Counselling Update
Meanwhile, students are awaiting an update on the NEET UG 2024 counselling date. The Centre announced that counselling will commence in the third week of July and will be conducted in four rounds. It also warned that if any person is found involved in malpractices, their candidature would be canceled at any stage during or after the counselling process.
