The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a review petition related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024, which had been filed on August 11.
The petition, titled "Kajal Kumari versus Union of India," sought to highlight alleged anomalies in the examination that the petitioners claimed were not adequately presented to the bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The dismissal reinforces the court's earlier judgment that no significant irregularities were found in the exam.
The case revolved around arguments that crucial evidence and overlooked points necessitated a review of the initial ruling. According to legal provisions, review petitions can be considered if new, previously unknown evidence emerges or the original hearing overlooked essential matters. The petitioners had raised these arguments, but after in-chamber proceedings, the bench upheld its earlier stance. Notably, review petitions are closed-door proceedings, inaccessible to the general public, and this case had been listed for a hearing on October 22 before the final decision.
In the original verdict, the Supreme Court concluded that the NEET-UG 2024 examination, held on May 5 across India and in international centres, was conducted without substantial flaws. The bench had earlier ruled out the possibility of conducting a fresh exam but acknowledged the need for structural improvements in the exam process. As a result, the court ordered the establishment of a committee to assess and recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is responsible for organizing NEET-UG.
This latest ruling marks a significant development for the thousands of medical aspirants waiting for clarity on the future of the exam. With the review petition now dismissed, attention will likely shift to the committee’s work on enhancing the NTA’s efficiency and transparency, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
