NEET-UG Counselling Postponed Amid Paper Leak Row, New Date To Be Announced Soon

The National Testing Agency has postponed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) that was scheduled for Saturday. The new dates will be announced by the Ministry of Education soon.

Sources said the process of issuing letters of permission to some medical colleges is still underway and new seats will be added.

“The date of counselling will be announced once the exercise gets over to ensure seats of the new colleges can be taken up in the first round itself,” an official source said.

They said the counselling may begin later this month.

The postponement comes after the Supreme Court refused to delay the NEET-UG counselling which was scheduled to begin today saying it is not an “open and shut” process.

The apex court led by CJI DY Chandrachud along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra is set to hear various pleas seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exams on July 8.

In these pleas, petitioners have alleged paper leaks, some have demanded cancellation of the full exam and conduction of the medical entrance exam, some have asked for an investigation into operations of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and more.

NTA Files Affidavit Against Cancellation of NEET-UG Exams

The National Testing Agency told the Supreme Court on Friday that cancellation of the controversy-ridden NEET-UG 2024 examination would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest, especially to the career prospects of those who cleared it.

In its affidavit filed in response to one of the petitions in the top court, the NTA, which conducts the NEET-UG examination, said the alleged incident/attempt of leak does not seem to have any bearing on the conduct of the entire examination held on May 5, as the number of candidates found to be involved by the investigating agencies is minuscule compared to number of candidates who appeared.

While the NEET is under the scanner over several irregularities, including alleged paper leaks, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised. Both matters are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Two other exams — CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG — were cancelled as a preemptive step.