NEET 2024 Supreme Court Hearing: NTA Denies Nationwide Impact Of Paper Leak

The Supreme Court resumed its hearing on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 paper leak case today. Representing the National Testing Agency (NTA), Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta asserted that the alleged paper leak did not have a nationwide impact. He further stated that the contested NEET results were consistent and showed no unnatural surge.

NEET 2024 Supreme Court Hearing

Tushar Mehta:
SG Mehta presented various data points to the three-judge bench, indicating acceptable spikes in results from various coaching hubs across the country. He acknowledged a noticeable increase in results from centres in Patna and Hazaribagh, which were reportedly compromised. He supported the NTA's stance with a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report, indicating that the paper leak was localised and contained.

He also highlighted that the success rate across different cities did not show any significant spike, thus refuting claims of a nationwide impact. He mentioned that only 4.61 per cent of candidates qualified for counselling this year, which aligns with previous years' results. He also addressed concerns about students shifting to Belagavi for alleged mass copying, noting that the success ratio in Belagavi had dropped, contradicting these concerns.

NTA:
The NTA argued that the overall results remained consistent and showed no reason for concern. While the centres in Patna and Hazaribagh displayed an increase in success rates, other centres maintained consistent results. This further supported the NTA's claim that the paper leak was a localised issue and not widespread.

The NTA submitted evidence that a total of 155 students benefitted from the NEET paper leak, with 125 in Hazaribagh and 30 in Patna. CCTV footage was presented to corroborate this.

Tushar Mehta:
SG Mehta explained that the leak was confined to specific centres, as indicated by the CBI report. The report detailed that the leak and problem-solving process began in Hazaribagh and was then relayed to Patna.

He also explained how the tampering occurred, citing that the unique serial number on the question paper matched only with Oasis School. A student's paper, which had its seal broken, was used to facilitate the leak. The process involved procuring, photographing, and replacing the paper before handing it to solvers. Neither solvers nor students were allowed to bring mobile phones into the examination centres, ensuring the leak was controlled and localized.

CBI:
The CBI report confirmed that the paper was stolen and solved on May 5, not leaked on May 4 as alleged.