The bench, consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, provided detailed reasons for their July 23 decision not to scrap the NEET-UG 2024 examination. Alongside K. Radhakrishnan, the panel includes members Randeep Guleria, B.J. Rao, Ramamurthy K., Pankaj Bansal, Aditya Mittal, and Govind Jaiswal.
The Supreme Court specified that the committee’s remit, in addition to its initial tasks, will now cover examination security and administration, data security, technological enhancements, policy and stakeholder engagement, international cooperation, and recommendations for mental health support for students and NTA staff training.
Regarding examination security and administration, the bench emphasised that the panel should evaluate and suggest reforms to ensure rigorous checks at every exam stage. This includes stricter candidate identity verification to prevent impersonation and technological innovations for security.
The court suggested comprehensive CCTV surveillance at all exam centers for real-time monitoring and recording to deter malpractice. The bench mandated strict legal action against candidates found guilty of malpractice.
The ministry of education had formed the expert committee on June 22, 2024, with a report submission deadline of August 22, 2024. However, given the expanded scope, the Supreme Court extended the deadline to September 30, 2024. The ministry is required to decide on the committee’s recommendations within one month of receiving the report and to implement a plan of action accordingly.
The ministry must report compliance with these directives within two weeks of deciding on the recommendations. The matter will be listed before an appropriate bench for compliance verification.
The Supreme Court also noted that students with individual grievances not addressed by the current judgment may pursue their rights in accordance with the law, including approaching jurisdictional High Courts after withdrawing any pending petitions in the Supreme Court.
