The Supreme Court stated on Thursday that a re-exam cannot be ordered only because some students want to re-appear, and pointed out that it can happen only if the sanctity of the exam has been affected.
The court resumed hearing on a bunch of pleas relating to the alleged paper leak and malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 examination.
Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that millions of students are anxiously awaiting a resolution to the matter.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court was informed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted a second status report detailing the progress of its ongoing investigation into the alleged paper leak and associated malpractices.
The Court emphasised the sensitivity of the investigation, stating that revealing the information provided by the CBI at this stage could compromise the inquiry.
The top court asked the counsel representing the petitioners to demonstrate that the paper leak was so systemic and affected the exam so as to warrant the cancellation of the entire exam.
“You have to show us that the leak was systemic and that it affected the entire examination… so as to warrant cancellation of the entire exam…” the court told the petitioners.
Specifically addressing the petitioner’s request to void results of the NEET-UG 2024 exam for all students, the top court said that the re-examination could only be ordered if the “sanctity” of the exam was “lost on a large scale”.
Additionally, the Supreme Court also sought detailed information about the top hundred ranks in the NEET-UG 2024 exam, including the cities from which these top-ranking students hail.