NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday extended by two weeks the time granted to the Centre-appointed seven-member expert panel, led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief K Radhakrishnan, to file its report on NEET-UG's exam reforms after reviewing the National Testing Agency's (NTA) functioning in holding the prestigious test.
The apex court's three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, and also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, extended the time of two weeks, after allowing the plea of the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre.
Tushar Mehta told the bench that the deadline for filing the report of the expert committee was ending and sought a two-week extension.
The top court also took into record the fact that the report of the expert panel was almost complete.
In a comprehensive and formal order pronounced on August 2, the apex court had directed for a slew of measures and steps to be taken while conducting the NEET-UG exam to ensure an unbiased, impartial and robust system to make a full proof, free from malpractices and a transparent exam, while admitted that there was not systemic breach to cancel the exam.
Widening the scope and ambit of the Radhakrishnan expert committee constituted by the govt to look into the NEET-UG paper leak and other irregularities, the top court, had said, the committee should encompass these seven steps to have a robust exam process.
These were; 1) Evaluation committee, 2) Standard Operating Procedure, 3) Review of the process of alloting exam centres, 4) Processes for enhanced identity checks, 5) CCTV monitoring of exam centres; 6) Secure logistic providers for ensuring non-tempering of papers and 7) recommend a robust grievance redressal mechanism.
"The viability of using closed vehicles with real-time locks rather than open e rickshaws to be considered," the CJI had said and added that the aim of the entire process or conducting these exercises was to deter and detect any malpractice in the exam.
The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admission in undergraduate medical programs.
The apex court in its order pointed out that the expert committee must rectify the deficiencies in the exam system and highlighted that if any student has any kind of personal grievance not related to the issues resolved in the judgement, they would be free to move to the respective High Courts.
The apex court also reiterated that it had come to the conclusion that there was no systemic breach of the papers, the leak was only limited to Patna and Hazaribagh.
On July 23, the SC rejected the pleas for a re-test and refused to cancel the NEET-UG exam, after observing that there is no data to suggest a "systemic breach" or that the "sanctity" of the examination, following two localised leaks of the question papers.
The apex court had pronounced the order after hearing a batch of petitions filed by students, who alleged malpractices and other irregularities in the exam. The hearing took place for four days from petitioners, respondents-- Centre, NTA -- and others.