The Supreme Court, on Thursday, sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) on a petition that alleged “inconsistent” calculation of marks on the OMR sheets used for the NEET-UG 2024 exam held on May 5, 2024. PM

Issuing the notice and seeking a reply from the NTA on the time limit to raise a grievance on the calculation of marks on OMR sheets for NEET-UG 2024, a vacation bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice S V N Bhatti togged the petition with the earlier pending petitions listed for hearing on July 8, 2024.

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“Let us know if there is a timeline to provide the OMR sheets. As of now, we will tag it. Let NTA seek instructions on this,” the vacation bench said in its brief order tagging it with earlier pending matters.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Misra asked the senior advocate R Basant appearing for the petitioner – Xylem Learning Private Limited – a learning app – how could it approach the top court invoking its jurisdiction under Article 32 – for the safeguarding of the fundamental rights, the fundamental rights are vested in the people and not private entities.

Telling the coaching centre that it has no role to play after the coaching is over, the bench observed, “This is a (Article) 32 petition at the instance of a coaching centre. What Fundamental right of yours is violated? They have hardly any role to play. Their obligation and duty end after they have discharged their service that is the end of the matter.

The senior advocate Basant told the vacation bench that besides the coaching centre, petitioner number 2,3.4. and 5 are candidates who appeared for the NEET-UG 2024. On the role of the coaching Centre, the senior advocate said, “One of the reasons is the moral obligation of the coaching centre.”

Justice Bhatti quipped “Everything that the Central government will do, will be taken care of by the coaching centre.”

Senior advocate Basant said that petitioner students (2 to 5) are before the court for obtaining the OMR sheets as some of the students, who appeared for NEET-UG 2024, have not been given the same yet.

The top court has been approached by a number of petitioners seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 results and to reconduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and irregularities in the conduct of the test held on May 5.

The top court has already refused to stay the counselling of NEET-UG, 2024, which is set to commence on July 6, 2024.

NEET-UG examination stepping stone for admission to undergraduate medical courses – MBBS, BDS and AYUSH and other related medical courses in government and private institutions across the country.