NEET UG Exam and UGC NET June 2024 Live Updates: The controversy around the NEET-UG exam and UGC-NET has intensified on Thursday, with the Opposition targetting the Modi government. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, sought responses from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and other parties in relation to petitions seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and calling for a court-monitored investigation into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance test. The vacation bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti, has set the hearing for these petitions on July 8.
The NTA has also filed separate pleas to transfer pending petitions from various high courts to the Supreme Court. Among the petitions is one by 20 students who appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 exam, demanding that the test be conducted afresh due to alleged discrepancies. The apex court stressed that even a minor negligence in the examination process, down to “0.001 per cent,” must be addressed thoroughly.
The NTA, responsible for conducting the NEET-UG exam, is facing scrutiny over these allegations. Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, the Ministry of Education announced the cancellation of the UGC-NET June 2024 exam due to concerns over its integrity. This announcement led to confusion among students and parents. The ministry later clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that only the UGC-NET exam has been canceled, not the NEET-UG.
The following day, education ministry officials said that no complaints were formally received regarding the UGC-NET exam. However, Joint Secretary Govind Jaiswal explained that the decision was made suo motu based on inputs from agencies, suggesting that the integrity of the exam had been compromised. The matter has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and is currently under investigation.
Jaiswal said that, “No complaints were received, but the inputs we received indicated a compromise in the integrity of the exam. The action was taken suo motu to safeguard the interests of students.”