Apex Court Nod To NEET-UG Results: Can’t Stop Just For 2 Students

The National Testing Agency has been allowed to announce the results of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination undergraduate (NEET UG) 2021 by the Supreme Court of India. The apex court today, 28 October, stayed the earlier order of the Bombay High Court which had stopped the declaration of the NEET results for the re-exam of two candidates. The stay on the high court order means that the NEET UG 2021 results can be expected soon, along with the release of the final answer key. We cannot delay the results for 16 lakh students,” said a bench of justices L Nageswar Rao, Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai while issuing notice to the two students on an appeal filed by NTA challenging the Bombay high court order of October 20. Further, the bench said, “There shall be stay of the impugned order passed by the high court, until further orders.” Two students, Vaishnavi Vijay Bhopale and Abhishek Shivaji Kapse, who appeared for NEET on September 12, filed a petition before the Bombay high court complaining that they got little time to write the examination due to a mistake by the invigilator who dropped the test booklets leading to a mismatch of OMR sheet and test booklets of six students. Of them, two went to the high court demanding a re-examination. The NTA had approached the Supreme Court in appeal against the High Court order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the NTA, said the confusion had happened in the case of a total six students, of which only two had come to court. One of the students answered 130 questions, while the other one attempted 160 questions. “They have scored good marks but also, total 6 students were there who faced the same problem,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court bench of Justices LN Rao, Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai. “[The] other four did not have a problem. How come only two had a problem and could not finish the paper? Four Students attempted 200 questions. But these two petitioners attempted only 130 questions?” Justice LN Rao asked. “The other four students did not realize the mistake made by authorities. These two students did and they knew that even if they fill the answers it will be judged wrongly,” the lawyer for the petitioners told the Supreme Court. “We’ll issue notice and stay the HC Judgement...you announce the results. There are 16 lakh students who are eagerly waiting for the results. We will see what we can do for these 2 students,” the Supreme Court Bench said. The SC has now issued notice to the National Testing Agency. The matter will be heard next on November 12.