THE Supreme Court on Monday asked the Director, IIT-Delhi to set up a team of three experts that would go into a particular question of Physics asked in the NEET-UG 2024 examination and submit a report on the correct answer by Tuesday noon. The top court’s order to IIT- Delhi to set up a team of three domain experts to examine the issue of the correct answer to a question came at the fag end of the day-long hearing on a batch of petitions including those which are seeking a re-test of the controversy-ridden NEET-UG on grounds of question paper-leak and other malpractices. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the petitioners seeking re-test to show with the help of data released by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which holds the examination, that there was a “systemic failure” in its conduct, and the paper leak was “widespread” and not restricted to Patna and Hazaribagh only. “How do you establish that the paper leak was all over India?” the CJI asked.

 

During the hearing, the bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, took note of the submissions of some aspirants that a question of Physics had two correct answers and a set of examinees, who gave one particular answer out of the two correct ones, were awarded four marks. It also considered submissions that there were three sets of aspirants, and one set got minus five for the correct answer, the second secured four marks for another correct answer, and the third group comprised those who skipped it for either want of knowledge or due to the fear of getting negative marks. This would have a significant impact on the merit list of successful candidates, the bench was told. The bench reproduced the controversial question in its order and said, “As indicated..., four options were indicated in the question as framed, of which, students had to select one option as their answer.” “In order to resolve the issue as regards the correct answer to the ...Question, we are of the considered view that an expert opinion should be sought from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

 

“We request the Director at IIT Delhi to constitute a team of three experts of the subject concerned. The expert team constituted by the Director is requested to formulate its opinion on the correct option for the above question and to remit its opinion to the Secretary General of this Court, preferably by 12 noon on 23 July 2024,” it ordered. It asked the SC’s Secretary General to communicate the order to the IIT Director for “expeditious steps”. The court made it clear that the order seeking the opinion of experts on a question would not mean that the pleas for cancellation of the examination have failed. It will resume hearing as many as 40 petitions on Tuesday, when it will hear submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and others on behalf of the Centre and the National Testing Agency. Earlier in the day, the bench sought data from senior advocate Narender Hooda, appearing for students, to show that there was a “systemic failure” in conducting the test. Observing that there was no material on record so far to show that the leak was widespread, the bench said there have been instances of some wrongdoing in Patna and Hazaribagh but they were not sufficient to indicate a systemic failure. Hooda said the NTA and others admitted to the paper leak and its dissemination through social media.