SC grants 2 weeks more to expert panel to file report on NEET-UG reforms


The Supreme Court on Monday extended by two weeks the time granted to the Centre-appointed seven-member expert panel to file its report on exam reforms after reviewing the National Testing Agency’s functioning in holding the NEET-UG.
The top court on August 2 had passed its formal order and expanded the remit of the seven-member expert panel, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan, to review the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and recommend exam reforms to make the controversy-ridden NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate), transparent and free from malpractices.
The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admission in undergraduate medical programs.
The top court had also refused to annul the NEET-UG of 2024, saying there was no sufficient material on record at present to indicate a systemic leak or malpractice compromising the integrity of the examination.
On Monday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that the deadline for filing the report of the expert committee was ending and sought two-week extension.
The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, took note of the fact that the report of the panel was almost complete and granted two more weeks for filing the same.