In a notable development, the Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking a review of its August 2, 2024 ruling, which declined a fresh NEET-UG 2024 examination. The review plea, filed by Kajal Kumari, challenged the earlier decision, arguing for a re-exam citing potential examination misconduct.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, rejected the plea on October 22. The detailed order, recently made public, stated, "There is no error apparent on the face of the record. No case for review under Order XLVII Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules 2013 has been established. The review petition is, therefore, dismissed.” The bench also denied the petitioner’s request for an open court hearing.
The Supreme Court’s initial verdict on August 2 emphasised that there was insufficient evidence to suggest a systemic leak or malpractice affecting NEET-UG 2024’s integrity. It noted, "...sufficient material is not on record at present which indicates a systemic leak or systemic malpractice of other forms. The material on record does not, at present, substantiate the allegation that there has been a widespread malpractice, which compromised the integrity of the exam. To the contrary, an assessment of the data shows there are no deviations which indicate that systemic cheating has taken place."
Although the court upheld NEET’s integrity, it expressed concerns over the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) handling of the examination process. CJI Chandrachud’s ruling observed that the NTA, responsible for conducting critical national exams like NEET, must operate without room for error. The Supreme Court stated, “The manner in which NTA organised the exam has raised serious concerns.”
In response to these issues, the Supreme Court expanded the mandate of a Centre-appointed committee, led by former ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan, to assess the NTA’s functioning and propose comprehensive reforms for future exams. The seven member panel is expected to provide recommendations to strengthen examination protocols and address operational deficiencies highlighted by the court.
The NEET UG 2024 examination, held on May 5, was attended by over 23 lakh candidates seeking admissions in MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related programmes.