NEET UG 2024: 'Was the entire NEET paper solved 45 minutes before the exam?', Supreme Court asks the Center

A bench headed by Chief Justice (CJI) Justice DY Chandrachud on July 18 heard together the petitions related to paper leaks and other rigging in the NEET-UG exam and the demand for cancellation of the exam.

During this, the court has ordered the NTA to upload the exam results of each center separately on the website. The court has said that by noon on Saturday, NTA should upload the complete exam result center-wise on the website.

Paper leaked just 45 minutes before? - SC

During the hearing, the SC expressed concern over the stand of the Center and the National Testing Agency (NTA) that the paper was leaked about 45 minutes before the start of the exam at some centers. 2024 NEET-UG exam, which was held on May 5 and in which about 24 lakh aspiring medical professionals participated.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of NTA, said that according to the CBI investigation, a person took unauthorized photographs of the question papers between 8 am and 9.20 am on the day of the exam at a particular center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The CBI has been entrusted with the task of investigating the matter.

The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud wondered if all 180 questions could be solved within 45 minutes, while the exam started at 10.15 am, to which Mehta replied that seven people in the gang divided the questions among themselves.

After this, these question papers were solved and the answers were given to the students who allegedly paid the gang to memorize.

This looks very hypothetical - Chandrachud.

Chief Justice Chandrachud said it is very hypothetical that the paper was solved in a single hour and the students were made to memorize it. The students were made to memorize the paper, which means the paper was leaked earlier.

Earlier, as the hearing began, the bench said it has given priority to hearing these petitions over other cases as they have social consequences and lakhs of students are awaiting their results. The bench also comprises Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra.

After a day-long debate, the next date of hearing has been fixed for July 22.

Defending exam body in NEET case

Senior advocate Narendra Hooda, appearing for some of the petitioners, made a strong demand for the cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 and claimed there was a "systematic failure" in conducting it.

He alleged that the transportation of question papers was compromised and they were in the possession of a private courier company in Hazaribagh for six days. He claimed that shockingly, they were transported to an exam center in an e-rickshaw, whose principal was later arrested for his alleged involvement in the racket.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, however, denied any suggestion of the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak and informed that the CBI has investigated the entire chain "from printer to center".

How did the sealing happen... how did the GPS tracking happen... there is a seven-tier security system, he told the court.

The court then asked Mehta, "Solicitor... did you appoint a private courier company to send the NEET papers? The Solicitor General deferred his reply for later.

Questions about transportation had arisen after the CBI said that the question papers were leaked - either while transporting the question papers to the centers or after they reached a school in Hazaribagh.

What did the CJI say on re-examination?

During the hearing, the CJI told advocate Hooda that you have to show us that the NEET paper leak was so systematic that the entire exam had been affected. Only then will the cancellation of the entire NEET exam be considered.