New Delhi: On Thursday, the Supreme Court directed the National Test Agency (NTA) to publish the marks obtained by students in the NEET UG exams to enhance transparency regarding centre-wise scores. The apex court mandated that the results be published by Saturday noon, enabling the hearing on the matter to conclude on Monday.
“The result should be declared in relation to each centre separately. Let it be released by Friday 5 PM … Let it be done, we have to see end of the matter (hearing of the case) on Monday,” stated Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, who led the bench.
At the request of the NTA counsel, the deadline for publishing the results was extended to Saturday noon.
“The fact that there was a leak at least in Patna and Hazaribag is (made out). The question papers were disseminated before the exam, that is undoubted. The question is whether this is only confined to these centres – in which case there is no question of a retest – or whether this is more widespread,” the court noted.
The Supreme Court also instructed the NTA to protect the students’ identities when publishing the results.
“Now students have a handicap because they would never have the kind of data necessary… We want the students’ identity to be masked… you can have dummy roll numbers so that no student’s identity is disclosed.. But let us see, centre-wise, what was the mark pattern … At the end of it… even if they fail.. they and we will have the satisfaction of having done our duty,” the court added.
