In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has decided against postponing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate counseling process, instructing the National Testing Agency (NTA) to proceed without delays. The court has also issued a notice to NTA, demanding a response before the next hearing scheduled for July 5, 2024.
The decision comes in response to a petition challenging the NEET examination results, amidst claims of discrepancies and requests for a re-evaluation of the exam processes.
NTA Seek Transfer of All HC Cases to SC:
During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta highlighted that similar petitions are pending in various High Courts across India, with several also awaiting adjudication at the Supreme Court. Mehta announced plans to file a transfer petition to consolidate these cases in the Supreme Court to avoid conflicting judgments and reduce confusion among students.
The bench noted that there are three broad issues namely...
Paper leakage
Grace/Compensatory Marks awarding criteria
Anomaly in the questions
There are petitions that have been filed before the Delhi High Court raising these issues.
SC Posted the Hearing to July 8:
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, presiding over the case, mentioned that the Supreme Court is set to further examine the matter on July 8. The apex court has already refused to halt the counseling process or mandate a re-examination, setting the stage for a significant hearing next Wednesday.
Alakh Pandey Petition on Grace Marks:
In a related development, Advocate J. Sai Deepak, representing Alakh Pandey, founder of Physics Wallah, highlighted a distinct petition backed by signatures from nearly 20,000 students. This petition alleges arbitrary awarding of approximately 70 to 80 grace marks to at least 1,500 students. The Supreme Court has indicated it will consider this issue alongside other related cases but affirmed that it will not impose a stay on the counseling process at this stage.