Neet UG 2024 Case: Vanshika Yadav vs. Union Of India (UOI) and Ors.

Overview of NEET UG 2024 Examination: 

The National Testing Agency held the NEET UG 2024 on May 5, 2024, with the results announced on June 4, 2024. It was a mammoth test, with 4,750 centers in 571 cities across India and 14 overseas. Around 23,33,297 students took the exam, competing at the undergraduate level for 1.08 lakh medical seats. Of these seats, approximately 56,000 were in government institutions, with the remaining 52,000 or so in privately administered schools. 
The NEET UG Examination consists of 180 questions, each carrying four marks, for a total of 720 points. There is one minus mark for each incorrect answer. This qualifying cut-off, which was set at the 50th percentile, was kept at 164 marks out of 720 for the 2024 Examination. 

The Controversy Unfolds Shortly after the examination, charges of paper leaks and systemic problems in exam administration appeared. The claimed anomalies prompted a flurry of legal challenges by dissatisfied parties challenging the verdict, which eventually reached the Supreme Court of India. The petitioners sought a mandamus directing a re-test on the following two grounds, primarily: 

• a)    Alleged leakage of question paper; and
• b)    Systemic deficiencies in the examination process. 

The petitioners argued that the leak was systemic in nature and coupled with structural deficiencies in the conduct of the exam, a re-test was required. They have placed reliance on various judgments of this Court, including Tanvi Sarwal v. Central Board of Secondary Education and Ors. (2015) and Sachin Kumar and Ors. v. Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board (DSSSB) and Ors. (2021), to substantiate their plea for a re-examination.  
Petitioners principally relied on two circumstances. First, it has been claimed that just a few candidates received the maximum of 720 points in each of the years 2020 through 2023. In comparison, up to 67 candidates are said to have received a maximum score of 720 in NEET (UG) 2024. While one student received a perfect score in 2020, three in 2021, one in 2022, and two in 2023, the number of students (sixty-seven) who received a perfect score of 720 marks in 2024 has increased dramatically. The second submission includes a comparison tabulation of the ranks assigned to students who received equal scores at different levels in 2022, 2023, and 2024. 
According to the petitioners' provided chart, students who received a specified level of marks between 539 to 700 in 2022 received lower rankings in 2023 and significantly lower ranks in 2024 for the same grades. As a result, it has been suggested that the number of students who received upper-range marks in NEET UG - 2024 was excessively high. The petitioners said that the two occurrences described above show that the question paper for this year was leaked on a large scale and that many candidates benefited from it.

Intervention by the Supreme Court: 

The Supreme Court acted quickly after realizing the significant consequences of the situation and the potential impact on the prospects of millions of pupils. On July 8, 2024, the Court issued an interim order directing the following to provide disclosures under oath: 

• a)    Respondent No.1 - The National Testing Agency (NTA)
• b)    Respondent No.2 - The Union of India
• c)    Respondent No.3 - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 

The involvement of the CBI was deemed necessary because multiple FIRs referring to the same alleged paper leak were filed in six states: Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Bihar. The cases were then handed to the CBI for further investigation. 
It held that the following three important issues must be scrutinized based on the impending data: 

• a)    Whether the alleged breach occurred at a systemic level;
• b)     If the breach was of a nature that affected the integrity of the entire examination process;
• c)    Whether it was possible to segregate the beneficiaries of the fraud from the untainted students. 

The Investigation Unfolds

As the investigation proceeded, a number of developments came to light: 

• a)    Paper Leak Confirmation: It was determined that there had probably been a leak of the NEET UG 2024 paper in Patna, Bihar, and Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
• b)    CBI Investigation: As of July 10, July 17, and July 21, 2024, the CBI has submitted many status reports. According to each of these status reports, the investigation is still ongoing. Approximately 155 students from examination centers in Hazaribagh and Patna were identified by the CBI as potential scam beneficiaries when this Court was deliberating over the cases.
• c)    Data Analysis: The Court ordered the Union Government to perform data analytics on the outcomes from all 4,750 centers in order to evaluate the likelihood of more widespread anomalies. A report from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, was produced by the government. The petitioners protested to it, claiming that it was biased, but the Court evaluated the NTA's data on its own. 

The Judgment of the Supreme Court: 

Following four days of hearings and deliberations on each submission, the Supreme Court rendered a decision. Understanding the urgent need for clarity and closure in a matter affecting more than two million pupils, the Court noted the following important findings but postponed providing the specific justifications until a later time. The main points of the ruling are as follows: 

• No Systemic Breach: The court must find sufficient evidence before it can determine that the examination's integrity was compromised or that there has been a systemic breach. 

Limited Impact: Based on the information at hand, which included comparisons across cities and centers for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, the Court was unable to find any proof that a systematic paper leak had compromised the investigation as a whole. NEET-UG is a specific entrance exam held each year for admission to undergraduate medical programs at all medical schools in the country. The Supreme Court admits that the paper was leaked in some centres, but it refuses to repeat the exam. This has frustrated students, coaches, educational startups, and institutions. 
The Supreme Court refused to cancel NEET-UG 2024, which was held on May 5, on Tuesday, stating that no evidence on record showed that there was any systematic destruction of question papers related to leaks at this time, which would jeopardize the examinations' very sanctity—held yearly for medical admission across the country.
There is currently no evidence to invalidate the examination results. Material on record pertaining to city-wise, center-wise, and comparison of results in 2022, 2023, and 2024 do not reveal any systematic leak of the question paper suggesting the destruction of the sancity of the examinations," observed Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, who led a three-judge Bench consisting of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.  
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, which is used to admit students to undergraduate medical programs across India, has been impacted by controversy. The NEET UG 2024 examination, held on May 5, 2024, became an exception because it is currently in the eye of a legal whirlwind and has reached the Supreme Court of India. It shed light on the exam controversy, the Supreme Court's intervention, and the fate of millions of aspiring medical students.    

• The Court used the established test to determine whether tainted students can be separated from untainted candidates. It concluded that such segregation was possible based on the facts available at the time.
• Continue to inquire This Court has stated that if any further beneficiaries of the fraud are discovered during subsequent investigations, action can be brought against them at any time, including after the counselling is completed.
• Re-examination. Rejected: The court did not order a new examination in NEET UG, 2024, due to the following negative consequences: 
  o    Changes to medical course entrance schedule. The cascading influence on medical education Concern over the future availability of trained medical practitioners. Inequitable condition for students from SC/ST and weaker sections, who benefit from seat reservations. 

Controversial Question Aside from the paper leak issue

The Court also addressed a dispute over one of the questions in the NEET UG, 2024, examination. Whereas the question on atomic structure and spectra had only one valid answer according to the NTA's provisional answer key, it was decided to accept two possibilities as correct responses to the representations question. 
In order to get an expert opinion, the Court directed that the Director of IIT Delhi form a committee consisting of three members from the Physics Department. Professors Pradipta Ghosh, Aditya Narain Agnihotri, and Sankalpa Ghosh formed the committee and came to the conclusion that there was only one right answer, which was "Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect." The Court acknowledged this expert opinion and ordered the NTA to amend all candidates' ranks based on this one accurate response when they re-release the NEET UG 2024 results. 

Special Test for Aggrieved Candidates  

During the hearing, this Court was informed that the NTA was administering a special test for the 1,563 students who had received compensatory marks. Their options were to take the special test or to keep their previous marks without the compensatory addition. This Court allowed the NTA system. Establishing an expert committee Given the controversy surrounding NEET UG 2024, the Union Government formed a seven-member Expert Committee chaired by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. This group is tasked for improving the procedure for administering the NEET UG and other NTA tests, as well as ensuring that the problems faced in 2024 do not occur again.

Implications and Future Directions

The Supreme Court's decision on the NEET UG 2024 dispute has significant implications for the future of medical education in India and the administration of high-stakes national exams. A few takeaways and potential directions include: 

• Balancing Act: The Court had to strike a difficult balance between protecting examination integrity and avoiding cancelation, which may impact millions of students' academic calendars and careers.
• The Court minimized collateral damage by allowing the results to stand, subject to proceedings against identified fraudulent candidates.
• The formation of the Expert Committee demonstrates a commitment to making the NEET UG and other NTA-conducted exams far more robust. Substantial changes to the way these essential tests are administered are in the works.The Court's emphasis on further investigation and action against those involved in the fraud highlights the importance of ongoing vigilance for those in charge of high-stakes examinations.
• Individual Grievances: Students can file individual grievances with High Courts to seek legal recourse for concerns not covered in the Supreme Court's verdict.
• Technology and Data Analytics: Using data analytics to assess examination trends can discover anomalies and potential breaches in future exams. g. Expert Involvement: The Court's reliance on expert panels, such as those formed at IIT Delhi to resolve the contentious issue, highlighted the need of involving subject matter experts when attempting to resolve technical issues.

Conclusion

The 2024 NEET UG dispute, as well as the Supreme Court of India's resolution of it, provide an important case study for how charges of misconduct in high-stakes national exams should be handled. It exemplifies a complex way to balancing the interests of millions of students with the concerns of safeguarding examination integrity, making it instructive for future scenarios. The lessons learned from this incident will consequently have an impact on policy decisions and administrative practices as India continues to cope with the challenges of conducting large-scale competitive examinations. An Expert Committee chaired by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan is thus a systematic move in this direction, and all stakeholders in the medical education landscape will closely monitor its recommendations. The NEET UG 2024 debate highlights the immense pressure and high stakes in medical admissions in India. It anticipates the need for strong, transparent, and highly secure examination mechanisms that can withstand scrutiny while maintaining public trust. Moving forward, there is a critical need to maintain a fair, egalitarian, and secure environment in which all aspiring medical professionals can demonstrate their abilities and pursue their dreams. The next several years will most likely witness an enhanced zone for technological solutions, security measures, and possibly even a revaluation of the entire admission procedure for medical education. Whatever the future holds, there should always be a goal that ensures that merit and hard effort remain the primary reasons for a successful professional existence. It ensures equal opportunity for students from all walks of life to help shape India's healthcare future. As the dust settles on the NEET UG 2024 debate, it is time to reflect on the lessons learned in creating a more robust and resilient examination system. Such concentrated efforts would ensure that India's future doctors are chosen through a rigorous examination procedure, paving the way for a healthier and more wealthy nation.

FAQs:

1.    Under which writ petition did the petitioners approach the court? 
Ans. Under the writ of Mandamus, the petitioners approached the court. The Petitioners wanted the government authorities to take cognisance of the paper leak and systematic deficiencies in the exam paper and take action. So, they approached the court under the writ of mandamus to direct the public authorities to fulfil their public duty. 

2.    What is the judgement given by the Supreme Court of India in the NEET UG 2024 Exam? 
Ans. The Supreme Court of India rejected the re-examination of the exam on the grounds that it affects over two million pupils, Insufficient evidence available to establish that the examination's integrity was compromised, No evidence showing any systemic paper leak in cities and centres for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, Possible to do so based on facts available and  Further beneficiaries of fraud can be prosecuted at any point in time, even after the completion of counselling.

3.    Which judges delivered the judgement of NEET-UG 2024?  
Ans. The judgement was delivered by Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud, C.J.I., J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, JJ. Rejecting the re-examination of the NEET UG 2024. 

4.    At which centres of the NEET examination is the alleged paper leak scam suspected? 
Ans. Hazaribagh and Patna were identified by the CBI as potential scam beneficiaries when this Court was deliberating over the cases.