*Calcutta High Court seeks NTA response on PIL alleging irregularities in NEET UG 2024*

 

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday sought the response of the National Testing Agency (NTA) on a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging irregularities in the NEET (UG) 2024 examination [Tanmoy Chattopadhyay v.

National Testing Agency and Others].

The petitioner argued that the candidates appearing in NEET (UG) 2024 exam could not have scored 718 or 719 as per the applicable marking/score system.

After taking note of the fact that the NTA was justifying such grant of marks by relying on the decision of the Supreme Court in Akshat Aggarwal and Others v. Union of India and Others, a division bench of Justice Kausik Chanda and Justice Apurba Singh Ray asked the agency to file a proper affidavit within a period of ten days in response to the allegations.

"It appears that the National Testing Agency sought to justify awarding of such marks based on a judgment passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No.600 of 2018 (Akshat Aggarwal & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.). Justification of such an exercise cannot be decided without an affidavit from the National Testing Agency/ respondent no.1. Accordingly, the respondent no.1 shall file an affidavit within a period of ten days from date in response to the allegations made in this writ petition," the Court ordered.

Pertinently, the Court also asked NTA to disclose in its affidavit as to how the reservation policy of the State as well as the Central Government has been followed in preparing the merit list for the said examination.

Justice Kausik Chanda and Justice Apurba Singh Ray

The Court has posted the matter after two weeks before a regular bench with a direction that the NTA shall preserve the records pertaining to the NEET (UG) 2024 Examination until further order of this Court.

"The outcome of the counselling process shall abide by the result of the writ petition," the Court clarified.

Deputy Solicitor General of India Dhiraj Kumar Trivedi and advocate Tirtha Pati Acharyya appeared for the NTA and Union of India

Advocate Sunit Kumar Roy appeared for the other respondent.