The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Thursday, January 2, that it would implement all corrective measures suggested by a seven-member expert panel tasked with reviewing the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in conducting NEET-UG 2024. This follows controversies surrounding last year’s exam, as per PTI reports.
On August 2, 2024, the Supreme Court refused to annul the NEET-UG, citing insufficient evidence to indicate systemic malpractice or a compromised examination process. However, the court expanded the mandate of the expert panel, led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, to recommend reforms ensuring transparency and fairness in the medical entrance test.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, informed a bench comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra that the government would implement all recommendations made by the panel.“We are going to implement all the recommendations and it (matter) can be listed after six months,” the law officer stated.
The bench scheduled the next hearing for April, deferring the matter by three months.
The expert panel’s report, which includes sensitive information such as question paper printing processes, has not been fully disclosed. Last October, the Supreme Court had extended the panel’s timeline to file its findings.
The NEET-UG 2024, conducted by the NTA, witnessed over 23 lakh candidates vying for undergraduate medical seats. The panel’s expanded remit addresses lapses such as the security breach at a Hazaribagh exam centre, where unauthorised access to question papers occurred, transportation of papers via e-rickshaws, and distribution errors.
Comprising eminent figures like Randeep Guleria, B J Rao, Ramamurthy K, Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal, and Govind Jaiswal, the panel is tasked with strengthening examination security, data protection, technological advancements, and mental health support for students. It will also focus on international cooperation and stakeholder engagement.
In November, the apex court dismissed a petition seeking a fresh NEET-UG 2024 examination, reiterating its August verdict.