NEET-UG paper leak row: ‘Neither question paper found missing, nor locks were broken..,’ Centre tells Supreme Court

Reaffirming its stance on the absence of leaks in the controversy surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the National Testing Agency (NTA) has informed the Supreme Court that no question paper was reported missing and no breaches were found in Patna.

Also Read: NEET UG 2024 Hearing Live Updates: Supreme Court to take up re-test petitions today

Moreover, IIT Madras conducted data analytics on the results of NEET-UG 2024, revealing that the distribution of marks follows a typical bell-shaped curve, consistent with patterns seen in large-scale examinations, indicating “no irregularities”.

Also Read: NEET-UG paper leak row: Supreme Court to hear petition today; what’s expected?

Additionally, the Central government submitted an additional affidavit to the Supreme Court, disclosing that for the academic year 2024-25, the counselling process for undergraduate seats will commence in four rounds, beginning from the third week of July.

The affidavit carries weight as initial accusations of a paper leak during the nationwide medical entrance exam originated from Patna. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), currently probing alleged irregularities in the examination, has apprehended eight individuals in connection with the Bihar case.

According to the NTA, no question paper was reported missing from any trunk during the administration of the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Each question paper was uniquely serial-numbered and assigned to specific candidates, and no instances of broken locks were discovered.

"This analysis indicates that the distribution of marks is quite normal and there seems to be no extraneous factor, which would influence the distribution of marks," the NTA said in its affidavit, which also gave details about the system in place for ensuring confidential printing of question papers, its transportation and distribution.

Also Read: NEET UG 2024 Hearing: 'Re-test is our last option', says SC; Next hearing on July 11

NTA affidavit further said, “Discussions within the Telegram channel indicate that members identified the video as fake. The timestamp was manipulated to create a false impression of an early leak. Comments and discussions on social media further corroborate that the images in the video were edited, and the date was intentionally modified to suggest a May 4 leak. The screenshots highlight the fabricated nature of the claims made in the video”, the NTA affidavit said.

The affidavit said as per findings given by the experts of IIT Madras, there is an overall increase in the marks obtained by the students, specifically in the range of 550 to 720.

"This increase is seen across the cities and centres. This is attributed to 25 per cent reduction in syllabus. In addition, candidates obtaining such high marks are spread across multiple cities and multiple centers, indicating very less likelihood of malpractice," it said.

Also Read: NEET-UG likely to go online, to follow JEE-Mains pattern. All you need to know

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is set to hear a series of petitions on Thursday regarding the contentious NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance exam. These petitions include allegations of irregularities and malpractices during the May 5 test and requests for a fresh examination.

During a hearing on July 8, the Supreme Court remarked that the integrity of NEET-UG 2024 had been compromised, indicating concerns over the alleged breaches in the conduct of the examination.

(With inputs from agencies)