The Centre has submitted a preliminary affidavit to the Supreme Court on Friday, opposing a series of petitions that seek to cancel the NEET-UG examination held for undergraduate medical program admissions. The Ministry of Education argued that such a cancellation would adversely impact "lakhs of honest candidates" who took the exam on May 5. They emphasized that annulling the entire exam would severely harm the interests of these candidates.
"In the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared. It is submitted that in any examination, there are competing rights that have been created whereby the interests of a large number of students who have taken the examination without adopting any alleged unfair means must not also be jeopardised," the affidavit said.
Regarding allegations of irregularities, including cheating, impersonation, and other malpractices, the Centre noted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating these claims and has taken over related cases from various states.
The Centre reiterated its dedication to conducting all competitive examinations fairly and transparently. They asserted that any breach of exam confidentiality by criminal elements would be met with severe legal action to ensure proper punishment.
"The Government is committed to ensure the sanctity of examinations and protect the interest of students. To ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination, Parliament has enacted the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 on 12.02.2024. The Act was brought into effect on 21.06.2024 and provides for stringent punishment for offences related to unfair means in public examinations. Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 under the Act have also been notified on 23.06.2024," it said.
Recently, the Supreme Court expressed doubts over a writ petition filed by a coaching institute alleging irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.
"What fundamental rights of yours are violated to enable you to maintain a writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution?" a vacation bench had asked the senior counsel representing Xylem Learning, a coaching institution providing assistance to NEET students.
In a related development, President Droupadi Murmu, in her address to a joint session of Parliament, affirmed the government's commitment to a thorough investigation and strict punishment for those involved in paper leaks.
"Even earlier, we have witnessed many instances of paper leaks in different states. It is important that we rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. Parliament has also enacted a strict law against unfair means in examinations," she added.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the batch of petitions regarding the NEET-UG exam, including its potential cancellation, on July 8.
Read also | NEET-UG Retest Outcome and Updated Rank List Unveiled by NTA
Read also | Australia Doubles Student Visa Fees, Impacting Indian Applicants
