NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice and sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) by July 8 on a petition filed by a learning app-cum-coaching centre, Xylem Learning, and a few NEET candidates, alleging "inconsistent" calculation of marks on the OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets used in the NEET-UG 2024 exam.
A two-judge Vacation Bench of the top court, comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice S.V.N. Bhatti, directed the NTA to file its reply by July 8, when it would take up all the pleas for a detailed hearing.
The petition by Xylem Learning raised concerns about the grant of OMR sheets to the students who appeared for the exam.
Senior Advocate R. Basant, appearing for Xylem Learning, stated that the petitioners also included students who were supposed to receive the OMR sheets. Basant pointed out that some students had not yet been given their OMR sheets.
In opposition, the NTA's lawyer asserted that the OMR sheets had been uploaded and provided to the candidates.
The top court inquired if there was any time limit for raising grievances regarding the OMR sheets. The NTA responded that if OMR sheets are uploaded and there is any grievance, there is a time limit, adding that they would check the specifics.
During the hearing, the bench questioned the coaching centre's involvement in filing the petition and remarked that coaching centres have "no role to play."
The SC, however, issued notice to the NTA, sought its reply, and scheduled the pleas for hearing on July 8, as several other pleas were also listed for hearing on that date.
Students and many educational institutions across India have moved the Supreme Court and various State High Courts after the NEET-UG examination was allegedly marred by paper leaks, irregularities, and malpractices, seeking various directions and orders to the NTA.
A joint petition was also filed by a group of 10 students who had appeared for the exam, seeking directions for the CBI and the ED to investigate the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG held on May 5.
The petition by the group of 10 students has also sought a direction from the top court for the Bihar Police to expedite their investigation and file a report.
"The petitioners are fully aware of the ramifications of the cancellation of the examination, but there is absolutely no other alternative," the plea before the apex court stated.
On June 22, the Supreme Court refused to defer the counselling date, which is scheduled to begin on July 6, for the NEET-UG 2024 examination, noting that it is not an "open and shut" process. This decision came after hearing a batch of pleas.
Last Thursday, the top court stayed the proceedings on the batch of pleas filed before various State High Courts on the same issue, after hearing the plea filed by the NTA and issued notice on the agency's plea concerning this year's NEET exam.
All the pleas have been tagged along with the pending pleas for further hearing on July 8, when the SC reopens after almost 45 days of summer vacation.
There are more than 50 petitions, including a fresh petition by a group of 20 students who appeared in the medical entrance exam, in the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to scrap the NEET-UG 2024 exam and an apex court-monitored probe by the CBI or any other independent agency into the alleged irregularities in the test held on May 5.
Recently, the NTA informed the apex court that the scorecards of 1,563 candidates who "received grace marks" in the NEET-UG 2024 would be cancelled, and the students would have the option to reappear for the exam.
The NTA further elaborated to the apex court that a committee has been constituted to review the results of these 1,563 candidates who were awarded "grace marks" to compensate for the loss of time experienced during the exam.
It is to be noted that the NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is the process for admission into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.