Proceedings of 3 High Courts Stays by Supreme Court On Alleged Paper Leak In NEET-UG 2024 Exam
Introduction: The Supreme Court of India has intervened in the ongoing legal proceedings concerning the alleged paper leak in the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The Court, on Thursday, stayed the proceedings initiated in the Rajasthan, Calcutta, and Bombay High Courts regarding this matter. This decision came in response to a transfer petition filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), seeking consolidation of these cases under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Court Proceedings: A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti issued a stay order while also issuing notice on the NTA’s transfer petition. Initially, the bench was reluctant to stay the proceedings, indicating that notice on transfer petitions usually leads High Courts to refrain from further handling the case. However, Advocate Vardhaman Kaushik, representing the NTA, highlighted that despite similar notices in the past, High Courts continued to address the issue.
Individual Grievances Consideration: Justice Nath acknowledged that certain cases involving individual grievances, such as requests for answer sheets and issues related to marks, could still be addressed by the High Courts. He noted:
“There may be some individual cases where petitions have been filed asking for the answer sheets, issue of higher marks and lesser marks, let those matters be thrashed out by the High Court.”
He referred to an incident in the Allahabad High Court where a petitioner had allegedly submitted forged documents, prompting the court’s dismissal of the case.
Clarification by NTA: The counsel for the NTA clarified that their transfer petition specifically targets cases related to the alleged paper leak and individual grievances of candidates affected by it.
Court Order and Next Steps: Ultimately, the Supreme Court bench decided to stay the proceedings in the High Courts involved until further notice. The cases have been adjourned to July 8, pending the outcome of the transfer petitions.
The Court also issued notice on additional writ petitions concerning discrepancies in the conduct of NEET-UG 2024 and consolidated them with related matters scheduled for July 8. It was clarified that the counselling process would proceed, but admissions would be contingent upon the resolution of pending petitions.
List of Petitions and High Courts Involved:
- NTA vs. Keshav Pareek and others – Rajasthan High Court (T.P.(C) No. 1602/2024)
- NTA vs. Shreya Banerjee and others – Calcutta High Court (T.P.(C) No. 1597/2024)
- NTA vs. Tanmoy Chattopadhyay and others – Calcutta High Court (T.P.(C) No. 1596/2024)
- NTA vs. Nikita (Minor) and others – Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) (T.P.(C) No. 1600/2024)
Conclusion: The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores its role in addressing complex legal issues of national importance, ensuring fair and transparent conduct of examinations like NEET-UG. The decision to consolidate cases aims to streamline proceedings and deliver swift justice while maintaining the integrity of the examination process.
