New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions on July 8 seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
The apex court has directed the Centre to submit a response to the allegations of question paper leaks and other discrepancies in the examination.
The controversy erupted after the National Testing Agency (NTA) awarded grace marks to some candidates due to issues such as misprinted questions, torn OMR sheets, and delays in the distribution of OMR sheets. These irregularities have sparked demands for a thorough investigation.
On June 13, the Centre and the NTA informed the Supreme Court that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates who sat for the exam. These candidates have been given the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them.
The NEET examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, with approximately 24 lakh candidates appearing for it. The results, originally expected to be declared on June 14, were announced ten days earlier on June 4, as the evaluation process was completed ahead of schedule.
The demands for a CBI probe underscore the severity of the alleged irregularities and the impact they could have on the integrity of the medical entrance examination. As the Supreme Court prepares to address these concerns, the outcome of the hearing could have significant implications for the affected candidates and the future conduct of the NEET examination.