New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has cleared the way for the National Testing Agency (NTA) to announce the NEET UG results by staying a recent Bombay High Court order ordering the agency to reschedule the exam for two undergraduate medical students. The top court has ruled that the results of approximately 16 lakh students cannot be delayed because of two students.
According to the Bombay High Court order, the NEET exam should be retaken for two students, Vaishanavi Bhopali and Abhishek Shivaji, who claimed they were given question papers and answer sheets with incorrect serial numbers.
The centre had moved the Supreme Court saying the NTA can not declare NEET result even if it is ready. Delay in NEET result will impact the undergraduate medical admissions, the central government said in its appeal.
One of the students answered 130 questions, while the other one attempted 160 questions. “They have scored good marks but also, total 6 students were there who faced the same problem,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court bench of Justices LN Rao, Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai.
“[The] other four did not have a problem. How come only two had a problem and could not finish the paper? Four Students attempted 200 questions. But these two petitioners attempted only 130 questions?” Justice LN Rao asked.
“The other four students did not realize the mistake made by authorities. These two students did and they knew that even if they fill the answers it will be judged wrongly,” the lawyer for the petitioners told the Supreme Court.
“We’ll issue notice and stay the HC Judgement…you announce the results. There are 16 lakh students who are eagerly waiting for the results. We will see what we can do for these 2 students,” the Supreme Court Bench said.
The SC has now issued notice to the National Testing Agency. The matter will be heard next on November 12.
This year, the undergraduate medical entrance exam has been surrounded by controversy.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier arrested groups who allegedly helped students to solve question papers. Some medical aspirants had moved the top court seeking its direction to the National Testing Agency to cancel and conduct the exam again as it was not held in a fair manner earlier.
The Supreme Court, however, dismissed their petition saying lakhs of students have appeared in the exam and results cannot be cancelled because of some FIRs.
In another recent development, the Kerala High Court has directed the NTA to probe into the alleged manipulation in the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet of a candidate in the state.
