The Centre opposes abolishing the entire NEET-UG 2024 test, claiming that there is no indication of a large-scale breach of confidentially

NEW DELHI: The Centre submitted its affidavit with the Supreme Court on Friday, arguing against canceling the entire NEET UG 2024 test scheduled for May 5 due to a lack of evidence of any large-scale violation of confidentially. According to the statement, invalidating the test would "seriously jeopardise" the efforts of lakhs of honest students who took it.

"It is also submitted that at the same time, in the absence of any proof of any large-scale breach of confidentiality in a pan-India examination, it would not be rational to scrap the entire examination and the results already declared," according to the Center.

In its affidavit, the Centre stated that it is committed to conducting all competitive examinations in a fair and transparent way. "The Union of India duly recognizes that the confidentiality of the question papers is the utmost priority in any examination, and that if, due to some criminality at the behest of some criminal elements, the confidentiality has been breached, the Union of India submits that the said person must be dealt with sternly and with the full force of law to ensure that they are punished," the affidavit reads.

The government also emphasized the significance of balancing conflicting rights and preserving the interests of the majority of students who did not engage in unfair acts.
"Scrapping the exam in entirety would seriously jeopardise the lakhs of honest candidates who attempted the question paper in 2024," said the Centre.