Supreme Court Directs NTA to Release NEET UG 2024 Scores for All Candidates; Raises Concerns Over Re-exam Requirement

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered the National Testing Agency (NTA) to publish the results of all candidates who took the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test undergraduate exam (NEET-UG) for 2024 by July 20 at noon.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud emphasized that the marks should be published without revealing the identity of the candidates to maintain confidentiality and privacy.

The Bench, which also included Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, acknowledged that the integrity of the exam had been compromised. While this issue was indisputable, cancelling the exam entirely would be a drastic measure, affecting the futures of over 23 lakh students who appeared for the test.

The court’s directive came amid concerns about the fairness of the exam process, with allegations of irregularities and malpractice. However, the Bench reiterated that canceling the exam would only be considered as a “last resort” if no other solutions were viable. The decision aims to balance the need for a fair assessment process with the significant impact on the large number of students involved.

By ordering the publication of results with anonymized marks, the Supreme Court seeks to ensure transparency and fairness while addressing concerns of privacy and integrity in the examination process.

During today’s hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud inquired about the number of students who appeared for the NEET UG exam over the past three years. The National Testing Agency (NTA) provided the following data:

• In 2022, 17,64,570 candidates appeared.
• In 2023, 20,38,526 candidates appeared.
• In 2024, 23,33,297 candidates appeared, reflecting a 33% increase from 2022.

Also, Senior advocate Narendra Hooda highlighted that the number of candidates scoring between 550-720 marks has increased fivefold. Chief Justice Chandrachud questioned whether this could be indicative of a paper leak. Mr Hooda considered this a red flag and called for further investigation.