The Supreme Court on Friday was informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally supervising the investigation and response mechanism related to the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the subsequent cancellation of the examination. The submission was made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta during a hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Appearing before the apex court, Solicitor General Mehta told the bench that the Centre was taking the issue with utmost seriousness and that the Prime Minister himself was closely monitoring the developments. “Honourable Prime Minister is personally supervising,” Mehta informed the court, according to reports.
The matter came up before a bench led by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, which sought clarity from the Centre regarding the nature of the probe, the monitoring mechanism in place, and the steps being taken to ensure accountability in the examination system. The court directed the government to file a detailed affidavit explaining how the investigation into the leak was being conducted and in what manner the process would reach its conclusion.
During the hearing, Justice Narasimha raised concerns over the implementation of safeguards despite the existence of high-powered committees and recommendations intended to secure the integrity of national-level examinations. “Despite high powered committee if this incident happened, there is something wrong with the original recommendation or there is no proper implementations,” the judge observed.
The bench also highlighted the emotional and psychological impact of such incidents on students and their families. Stressing the importance of maintaining the credibility of competitive examinations, the court remarked that young aspirants should not suffer due to systemic lapses.
“It’s very traumatising — so much investment of emotions and time,” the bench observed, while referring to the immense pressure and preparation involved in examinations like NEET-UG. The court also cited the example of the UPSC examinations, often regarded as one of the most securely conducted recruitment processes in the country, suggesting that lessons could be drawn from its mechanisms.
The NEET-UG controversy has triggered widespread concern across the country after allegations of paper leaks and irregularities surfaced, prompting questions over the transparency and security protocols of the NTA. The matter has become a major issue for lakhs of medical aspirants whose futures remain uncertain amid the legal and administrative developments.
In response to the court’s concerns, Solicitor General Mehta assured the bench that new mechanisms and safeguards had been introduced for the upcoming NEET-UG examination scheduled for June 21. While the Centre did not disclose the details of the revamped system in open court, it maintained that corrective measures were being implemented to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.
The Supreme Court, after hearing the submissions, posted the matter for further hearing in the second week of July. The Centre has been asked to submit its affidavit before the next date of hearing.
The ongoing controversy has intensified scrutiny over the functioning of the National Testing Agency, which conducts several high-stakes entrance examinations across the country. With the Supreme Court closely monitoring the matter and the Centre under pressure to restore confidence in the examination process, the case is likely to have significant implications for the future conduct of national-level entrance tests in India.
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