Calcutta HC seeks NTA response on PIL alleging irregularities in NEET-UG 2024

The Calcutta High Court has ordered the National Testing Agency (NTA) to file an affidavit within 10 days in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging various irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 examination.

A Division Bench presided over by Justice Apurba Sinha Ray also asked the NTA to disclose in its affidavit how the reservation policy of the

State, as well as the Central Government, has been followed in preparing the merit list.

The Bench, also comprising Justice Kausik Chanda, took note of the submission that some of the candidates could not have scored 718 or 719 as per the applicable marking system.

Posting the matter for further hearing after two weeks, the High Court ordered the NTA to preserve the records pertaining to the NEET (UG) 2024 examination until further orders.

The PIL filed by advocate

Tanmoy Chattopadhyay, in his personal capacity, said that there were “glaring discrepancies” in NEET (UG) results published on June 4 and the students' community at large is today at risk of being deprived of their legitimate claim to admission.

The plea said that NTA sought to justify the illegalities by giving grace marks to certain candidates who made representations regarding loss of time during the conduct of examination based on a 2013 judgment of the Supreme Court which has “no relation whatsoever with the case at hand and it was in respect of a fact situation in CLAT 2018 and the said judgment has no relevance in respect of the NEET(UG) 2024.”

In its order, the High Court said, “The National Testing Agency sought to justify awarding of such marks based on a judgment passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court. Justification of such an exercise cannot be decided without an affidavit from the National Testing Agency.”