New Delhi|Aug, 2 : Advising the National Testing Agency to spruce up its cyber security to prevent paper leaks, the Supreme Court on Friday said that there was no systemic breach of the NEET-UG 2024 as the paper leak was only limited to Patna and Hazaribagh.
While giving its detailed reasons for not cancelling the May 5 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate 2024 exam for the paper leak, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud highlighted the deficiencies in the structural processes of the NTAs which caused the paper leak and told it to avoid “flip-flops” in the context of the NEET exam.
The court also ordered a comprehensive review of the NTA’s administrative processes and formulation of a standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding the timeline for registration, change of exam centres, sealing and storage of answer sheets.
The Supreme Court said that we have directed that the scope of the committee already formed be expanded, the committee was originally set up by the Centre in response to the NEET controversy.
The court said that the committee’s mandate should now include not only exam security but also a comprehensive review of the NTA’s administrative processes.
The bench said that the committee constituted by the Centre will also consider framing standard operating procedures for technological advancements to identify potential weaknesses in the cyber security of the examination system, processes for enhanced identity checks and CCTV monitoring of exam centres.
We cannot afford this for the betterment of the students, the bench said.
Earlier on June 23, the bench comprising Chief Justice of India Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had rejected the plea for a NEET re-test and stated that detailed reasons will be given later.
The Court had delivered its judgment on a batch of petitions seeking to cancel the NEET held on May 5 for paper leak and malpractices. The results were declared on June 4.
The same bench on Friday while giving its detailed order criticised the NTA for the “flip flops” it made to conduct the NEET-UG 2024 exam.
CJI questioned the NTA for allowing candidates to change their exam centres and opening a “rear door” to allow new registration.
CJI also flagged the NTA’s decision to award grace marks to 1,563 students to compensate for the loss of time they suffered for being given the wrong question paper.
The decision to give additional marks was, however, later retracted and those students were made to appear for a re-test.
CJI Chandrachud also pointed out the NTA’s decision to award grace marks to students who attempted a second option for an ambiguous question.
Later, an expert panel constituted on the directions of the Supreme Court by the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi opined that the question had only one correct answer, following which the court directed the NTA to revise the result.
Because the NTA had decided to treat two answers as the correct answer, 44 students had been awarded full 720 marks, CJI pointed out.
The Court directed the committee to prepare a report by September 30 and told the Ministry of Education to formulate the programme to be implemented within a month.
The CJI said “We have highlighted all the deficiencies and the expert committee must rectify them.”
Other suggestions given by the Apex Court are to review the process by which exam centres are allotted to candidates, to consider the viability of comprehensive CCTV monitoring at all exam centres, to review and suggest measures for enhancing the process for printing, and transportation of papers.
The Court also asked the agencies to explore the viability of using closed vehicles with real-time locks rather than open e-rickshaws for transportation of exam papers and to enhance identity checks at various stages, technological innovations to check impersonation and take into account privacy law.
