Center opposes scrapping of NEET exam, submits affidavit in SC

Central Government, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, has opposed the scrapping of the NEET-UG exam, saying it would jeopardize lakhs of honest candidates. The Centre said the interests of the large number of students who took the exam without adopting unfair means must not be jeopardized.

"In the absence of proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination," the affidavit reads.

The NEET-UG 2024 examination for undergraduate medical programs, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), stirred a row over reports of question paper leaks in some states and the awarding of grace marks to 1,500 students, leading to widespread protests. The grace marks were later withdrawn and a re-test was held.

The Centre further said the CBI was conducting a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities, and it was committed to conducting all exams fairly and transparently. The government said the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act was already in force, and it had a provision of stringent punishment for offenses related to unfair means in exams.