NEW DELHI: The IIT Delhi Director has filed a report on Tuesday to the Supreme Court, after constituting a three-member expert committee, stating that option four was the correct answer of the controversial Physics question paper in the NEET-UG exam, 2024.
The IIT Delhi Director had filed the report, after completing with the apex court's Monday order in which it asked him to apprise about the correct answer of a particular Physics question which appeared on the NEET-UG exam.
It is also been seen that around 9 lakh candidates had chosen the first option while over four lakh chose the second option and now stand to lose five marks (four for the question plus one negative mark).
The three-judge bench of the top court, led by the Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, took note of the reply filed by the IIT Delhi Director and went ahead to hear the arguments from the Centre through its senior lawyer officer, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta.
Narrating the entire incident about the NEET-UG exam, Mehta tried to defend by saying that the integrity of the entire NEET-UG was not compromised, but he admitted that there was a paper leak.
During the course of the hearing, the CJI observed that now we know that there was a leak very much and that it originated in Hazaribagh and WhatsApp message was sent to Patna. "What we are unsure is time of leak and is there any forensic data to show where all the messages were sent."
The hearing is still underway in the top court and an order is likely to be reserved today or expected to come today during the later part of the day.
Many petitioners told the Supreme Court on Monday that the NEET-UG exam was held, without any procedure being followed and it was "a complete systemic failure," and "no address verification, no CCTV camera monitoring" at any of the locations.
"It (the exam) is of having a complete systemic failure, no address verification, no CCTV camera monitoring at any of the locations. There has been a live monitoring they say... but I demolish it by saying that a wrong question paper is distributed in Sawai Madhopur and there is no surveillance. It is on social media they get to know about the wrong question paper," senior lawyer, Narendra Hooda told the three-judge bench, led by the CJI Chandrachud.
He also said that while complying with the court's direction, the NTA published the list, without roll numbers, as it had to be masked for privacy. However, he added that no all India ranks have been given by NTA. Seriatum has also not been given as per the exam centre.
Hooda further told the Supreme Court that Bihar police investigation statements said that the leak was on May 4 and was prior to the deposit of question papers with respective banks.
The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of petitions by students who have appeared in the National eligibility cum entrance test (NEET UG) and have sought re-test and proper investigation into the alleged paper leak.
It is to ne noted that the NEET-UG examination conducted by NTA is the process for getting admitted into MBBS, BDS and AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.