The Supreme Court was told on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally overseeing the cancellation of NEET-UG, after a paper was leaked.
The application was made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after the Supreme Court sought a response from the government in an affidavit detailing how and in what manner the process will be conducted and the investigation into the leak concluded.
“The honorable Prime Minister is personally honored,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court, according to what was reported by the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. LiveLaw.
During the hearing, Justice Bamidigantam Sri Narasimha asked the Center how much enforcement monitoring had taken place and the reason behind the leak.
The court said that young people should not be disappointed in this way, adding: “It is very painful to invest so much emotion and time.” The court also cited the example of UPSC in conducting examinations.
“Though there is a high-level committee if this incident happens, there is something wrong with the original recommendation or there is no proper implementation,” Justice Narasimha asked.
“It is very painful if something like this happens, not only to the students, but also to their families and everyone. They are investing a lot of emotions,” the bench added.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that new mechanisms have been put in place for the NEET-UG examination scheduled to be conducted on June 21.
The statement comes after the Supreme Court on Friday heard a batch of petitions challenging the cancellation of NEET-UG conducted by the NTA. The court asked the Center to submit a written statement and adjourned the matter for hearing in the second week of July.
On May 12, the NTA canceled the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leakage. Paper leak allegations are under investigation by the CBI.
A retest is scheduled for June 21. Earlier in 2024, after NEET-UG questions were leaked, the Supreme Court had refused to cancel the exam but issued various directions aimed at addressing paper leaks and also a criterion for canceling public exams.
