The Meghalaya High Court today rejected the plea by ten NEET-UG examination candidates of the State for conduct of retest in view of the anomalies in the examination held on May 5, 2024 at Jowai and Nongpoh exam centres.
The candidates who included Eleazer Vincent Lyngdoh, Tofany Suchiang, Alizza Merily S. Laloo, Joshaviah Onan Paswet, Weibha Nongtdu Lakiang, Amikha D. Manih, Darishisha Syiem, Banrilang Syiem, Suffiliana Tariang and Feemeerida Blah moved the High Court with the complaint that they were denied the allocated time of 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete the NEET-UG paper as a lot of time had been wasted due to supply of wrong question papers and contradictory instructions given to the students by the examiners.
The ten petitioners told the court that though they made a representation in this regard on May 6, 2024, to the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the State government demanding re-examination, in view of the anomalies, the request was not accepted, whereas, in cases of other similarly situated persons, a decision was taken to hold a re-test on June 23, 2024.
However, in his judgment today, Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew said that the lapse was detected and by the estimate of the invigilators, and as per the NTA guidelines, additional time of 15 minutes had been allowed, and therefore, the examination instead of concluding at 5:20 pm was allowed to continue till 5:35 pm.
“Further, a fact that cannot be ignored is that all the candidates did not leave before 5:35 pm. From the sequence of events therefore, notwithstanding the lapse, in the distribution of the question papers, extra time having been allowed in both the centres and though the same alleged to be insufficient, in the considered view of this court, though there may be a marginal difference, between the time lost and compensated, in the absence of any other materials to show that the time lost was more significant, no case has been made out for any interference by this court,” Justice Thangkhiew said.
The High Court stated that there was indeed some confusion with regard to the distribution of two sets of question papers, as alleged by the petitioners, but also the fact that emerges is that the time lost was readjusted.
“As submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the City Coordinator of Jowai by letter dated 06.05.2024, had reported that it took 20 minutes and a bit more to rectify the situation, though the time was readjusted accordingly,” the High Court stated.
The High Court stated that the NEET-UG examination 2024, has received considerable national attention, as the validity of the test was questioned, and the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court and disposed of by the judgment dated July 23, 2024.
“The petitioners who had also joined the cause, withdrew their writ petition, but have now sought to be given the benefit allowed to 1563 students, for re-test on the ground that they are similarly situated. In this context, it has to be noted that the NTA had allotted grace marks to the 1563 candidates at certain centres who did not have the opportunity to utilize the entire duration of the exam, that is 3 hours 20 minutes, which was interfered with by the Supreme Court, by directing a re-test for the said candidates,” the High Court added.
