The NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam became controversial after the paper leak and alleged irregularities surfaced, with massive protests by students and opposition parties across the country.

NEET-UG Paper Leak: As the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed several petitions seeking cancellation of the controversial NEET-UG 2024 exam and a re-test, we take a look at the chronology of key events in the case that led to massive protests by students and the opposition. All over the country after incidents of paper leakage and alleged irregularities in medical entrance exams came to light.

NEET-UG Row: Timeline of Programs

• 9 February 2024: National Testing Agency (NTA) has issued a public notification to fill online application for NEET-UG 2024.
• May 5: The NEET-UG 2024 exam was conducted at 4,750 centers in 571 cities including 14 cities abroad.
• May 17: SC seeks response from Center and NTA on petition alleging irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 held on May 5.
• June 4: NEET-UG 2024 result declared, 67 candidates topped.
• June 11: Observing that the sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 has been affected, the SC sought response from the Center and NTA on the plea to conduct a fresh examination due to alleged question paper leakage and other irregularities.
• June 13: The Center told the SC that it has canceled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates who appeared in the NEET-UG exam for admission to MBBS and other such courses. The center says they will have the option of either re-testing or giving up the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time.
• June 14: SC seeks response from Center and NTA on plea seeking CBI probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.
• June 18: SC says even “0.001 percent carelessness” by anyone in NEET-UG 2024 exam, should be dealt with strictly.
• June 23: Out of the 1,563 candidates who appeared earlier in NEET-UG, as many as 813 candidates are appearing for the retest, officials said.
• July 1: The number of candidates who secured the top rank in NEET-UG in medical entrance exam has come down from 67 to 61 as NTA has announced revised results.
• July 5: Canceling the NEET-UG 2024 exam in its entirety would “seriously endanger” millions of bona fide candidates and is illogical in the absence of any evidence of massive breach of privacy, Center tells SC.
• July 5: NTA tells SC that cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 would be highly counterproductive and significantly detrimental to the larger public interest, especially the career prospects of those who cleared it.
• July 10: The Center told the SC that there was no “collective malpractice” or a local set of candidates benefiting from abnormal marks in NEET-UG 2024.
• July 18: SC directs NTA to declare center and city-wise results of NEET-UG 2024 by 12 noon on July 20 and withhold identity of candidates.
• July 22: SC asked the director of IIT-Delhi to form a team of three experts for a specific physics question asked in the NEET-UG 2024 exam and submit a report of the correct answer by the next day afternoon.
• July 23: SC refuses to cancel NEET-UG, 2024 exam, retest. CJI DY Chandrachud says, “There is absence of material to conclude that the NEET-UG 2024 exam results are rigged or there is a systematic violation.”

NEET-UG Row

The NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam became controversial after the paper leak and alleged irregularities surfaced, with massive protests by students and opposition parties across the country.

The row erupted after the announcement of NEET-UG 2024 results in which an unprecedented 67 candidates scored 720/720, bringing the competitive test under the scanner and protests against the NTA after the NEET question paper was exposed. It was leaked in several states before the exam.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court dismissed pleas seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 examination and re-testing, holding that there was no data on record to indicate systematic leakage of question papers and other malpractices.

NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.

(with PTI input)