SC seeks NTA response on plea for fresh NEET-UG amid 'paper leak', 'malpractice' allegations
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Centre and the National Testing Agency on a plea seeking fresh conduct of medical entrance exam NEET-UG, 2024, on the grounds of alleged question paper leak and other malpractices.
Taking note of the allegations of paper leak and other malpractices, a vacation bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah said, "It is not that simple that because what you have done is sacrosanct. Sanctity has been affected, so we need answers."
The top court, however, refused to stay the counselling of successful candidates for admissions to MBBS, BDS and other courses.
Besides the Centre and the NTA, which conducts NEET-UG, the bench also issued notices to the Bihar government. There were allegations of malpractice in the exam in the state.
"How much time do you want? Immediately on the re-opening? Otherwise, the counselling will start," the bench said.
It tagged the plea filed by Shivangi Mishra and nine other MBBS aspirants with a pending one and asked the NTA to file the response in the meantime. The top court's benches will resume regular hearings on July 8 after the summer vacation which commenced on May 20.
NEET-UG, 2024, was held on May 5 and results were declared on June 4. It was expected to be declared on June 14.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS and AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
"Issue notice. In the meantime, the response will be filed by the National Testing Agency," the bench said.
It, however, did not agree to the submission of lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara, appearing for the students, that the counselling of students be stayed in the meantime. "Let the counselling start, we are not stopping the counselling... We will not stop the counselling. If you argue further, we will dismiss this,” the bench said.
The apex court bench took note of submissions that the fresh plea be tagged along with the earlier similar petition on which a bench headed by CJI DY Chanrdarchud had issued notices to the Centre and the NTA on May 17 and that plea was already listed on July 8.
It allowed the submissions.
The fresh plea alleged that NEET-UG, 2024, was riddled with malpractices as various instances of alleged paper leaks have come to the knowledge of the petitioners.
The alleged leak was violative of Article 14 (right to equality) under the Constitution as it gave an undue advantage to some candidates over others who chose to attempt the examination in a fair manner, it said.
Shivangi Mishra and others had filed the plea on June 1 before the declaration of the NEET-UG results. After the declaration of the results, a few more petitions have been filed in the top court against the NTA's decision to award grace marks to several candidates. Those pleas are yet to be listed for hearing.
On May 17, the CJI-led bench refused to grant a stay on the results of the NEET-UG 2024. It, however, had agreed to issue notice on the plea for re-examination.
Similar petitions are pending in different high courts as well.
One of the petitions before the Supreme Court has specifically referred to the allegations that the paper was leaked in Patna and wrong question papers were given to candidates
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trump wants Jordan, Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees, floats plan to 'clean out' Gaza
Aboard Air Force One, Jan 26 (AP): President Donald Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate.
During a 20-minute question-and-answer session Saturday with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also said he has ended his predecessor's hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifts a pressure point meant to reduce civilian casualties during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, which is now halted by a tenuous ceasefire.
“We released them today," Trump said of the bombs. “They've been waiting for them for a long time." Asked why he lifted the ban on those bombs, Trump responded, “Because they bought them.”
Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger vision for Gaza, Trump said he had call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
“I'd like Egypt to take people,” Trump said. “You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, You know, it's over.'”
Trump said he complimented Jordan for having successfully accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king, “I'd love for you to take on more, cause I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess. It's a real mess.”
Such a drastic displacement of people would openly contradict Palestinian identity and deep connection to Gaza. Still, Trump said the part of the world that encompasses Gaza, has “had many, many conflicts” over centuries. He said resettling “could be temporary or long term”.
“Something has to happen," Trump said. “But it's literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything's demolished, and people are dying there.” He added: “So, I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement Sunday, thanked Trump for “keeping your promise to give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself.” He did not mention Trump's suggestion on Palestinian refugees.
Trump has offered nontraditional views on the future of Gaza in the past. He suggested after he was inaugurated on Monday that Gaza has “really got to be rebuilt in a different way".
The new president added then, "Gaza is interesting. It's a phenomenal location, on the sea. The best weather, you know, everything is good. It's like, some beautiful things could be done with it, but it's very interesting."
Resuming delivery of large bombs, meanwhile, is a break with then-President Joe Biden, who halted their delivery in May as part of an effort to keep Israel from launching an all-out assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A month later, Israel did take control of the city, but after the vast majority of the 1 million civilians that had been living or sheltering in Rafah had fled.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres,” Biden told CNN in May when he held up the weapons. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.”
The Biden pause had also held up 1,700 500-pound bombs that had been packaged in the same shipment to Israel, but weeks later those bombs were delivered.
Trump's action comes as he has celebrated the first phase of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that has paused the fighting and seen the release of some hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Negotiations have yet to begin in earnest on the more difficult second phase of the deal that would eventually see the release of all hostages held by Hamas and an enduring halt to the fighting.
If the remaining hostages are not released, the Israeli government has threatened to resume its war against Hamas, which launched a massive assault against Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
