Delhi HC Dismisses NEET-UG Re-Test Tampering Claims

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking additional marks for NEET-UG candidates and reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared before the court and stated that there was no tampering with the OMR sheets of candidates in the NEET-UG re-test. He said that the allegations of large-scale tampering were baseless and should not be allowed to set a narrative.

The PIL was filed by two NEET-UG candidates who alleged that their OMR sheets had been tampered with and sought additional marks for themselves and other affected candidates. They also sought the scrapping of the NTA and the constitution of an expert committee to look into the concerns over irregularities in the examination.

Mehta argued that the petitioner's case appeared to be a mismatch between her rough work on the question paper and the answer marked on the OMR sheet, and there was no manipulation. He asked who would tamper with the OMR sheets and stated that there was no evidence to support the allegations.

The counsel for the petitioners submitted that the issues raised in the plea concerned thousands of candidates, but only two of them came forward to file the plea as others were not permitted by their parents.

The court refused to entertain the PIL, stating that it sought relief that could not be granted. The court said it would consider the issues if any aggrieved student approached it in an individual capacity, and not in a PIL.

The court dismissed the petition as withdrawn, granting one petitioner liberty to file a separate PIL on institutional reforms in public examinations like NEET. The court permitted the second candidate to file a plea regarding her allegations of OMR tampering.

The decision comes as a relief to the NTA, which has been facing criticism over the conduct of the NEET-UG examination. The agency has been accused of irregularities and lapses in the examination, leading to protests by students and parents.

The NEET-UG examination is a highly competitive exam for admission to medical colleges in India. The examination is conducted by the NTA, which is responsible for ensuring the fairness and transparency of the exam.

The court's decision is likely to have implications for the future conduct of the NEET-UG examination and the role of the NTA in ensuring the fairness and transparency of the exam.

The Delhi High Court's decision to dismiss the PIL is a significant development in the ongoing controversy over the NEET-UG examination. The court's decision is likely to be closely watched by students, parents, and education authorities across the country.

In conclusion, the Delhi High Court's decision to dismiss the PIL seeking additional marks and NTA reforms is a significant development in the ongoing controversy over the NEET-UG examination. The court's decision is likely to have implications for the future conduct of the exam and the role of the NTA in ensuring fairness and transparency.