NEET UG 2024: NTA to release the final result within two days, says Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after SC verdict

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan praised the Supreme Court's decision on July 23 over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) challenge and announced that the National Testing Agency (NTA) would declare the final results of the medical entrance exam within two days.

Pradhan said the merit list would be updated based on the Supreme Court's observations. He slammed the opposition, claiming that it was attempting to incite "anarchy and civil unrest" over the NEET issue.

The Supreme Court denied the petitions for the cancelation and re-examination of the controversial NEET UG 2024, ruling that there was insufficient evidence on record to determine that the exam was "vitiated" due to a "systemic breach" of its integrity.

The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, rejected the plea for cancelation and re-examination, saying, "At the present stage, there is an absence of material on record to lead to the conclusion that the result of the examination is vitiated or that there is a systemic breach of the sanctity of the exam."

The interim verdict, which will be followed by a detailed and reasoned order, came as a boost to the embattled BJP-led NDA government and the National Testing Agency (NTA), which were facing widespread criticism and protests on the streets and in Parliament over alleged large-scale malpractices such as question paper leakage, fraud, and impersonation in the prestigious examination held on May 5.

"Satyamev Jayate," Pradhan said, welcoming the court’s decision.

"After this historic judgment of the Supreme Court, I would like to say Satyameva Jayate. When the NEET matter came to light, the opposition's role became clear after the Supreme Court's judgment today. The attitude that the Lok Sabha LoP had adopted until yesterday, invalidating the examination system of the country and calling it rubbish, proves his mental status," Pradhan said.

“Criticizing this, Rahul Gandhi has criticized India. Misleading the students of the country, creating confusion, and provoking them for social tensions were all planned parts of his politics. By rejecting the electoral results in the country, anarchy and civil unrest have become a part of his strategy,” Pradhan added.

“I appeal to him and all people of opposition who were involved in such irresponsible actions—they should apologize to the students, youth, and parents of the country. You have hurt the country, attempted to create anarchy in the country, and conspired to have civil unrest in the country. The country will not forgive you. Political rivalry can be different, but students belong to everyone,” Pradhan continued.

"The Union government had claimed there was no large-scale leak, which the Supreme Court had affirmed. The government had zero tolerance for any form of breach and that the sanctity of exams was supreme for us," he added. The Education Minister warned that if anyone is found to be involved in exam irregularities, they will be held accountable.

Pradhan and Rahul Gandhi engaged in a war of words over the NEET issue on July 22. According to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan blamed everyone except himself.

“I don't even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here... the issue is that millions of students in this country are extremely concerned about what is going on and who is convinced that the Indian examination system is a fraud,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Earlier, the SC, while hearing 38 petitions as well as a separate petition filed by over 50 successful Gujarat-based candidates seeking a restraining order against the government and the NTA from canceling the disputed exam, confirmed a paper leak in the NEET UG 2024 examination but said that cancelation of the exam is an extreme last resort.

The NEET UG 2024 examination was held on May 5 by the NTA across hundreds of centers in India for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions. The results were released unexpectedly soon on June 4, ten days ahead of schedule, with 67 toppers this year.

The government and the NTA on June 13 told the court that they had canceled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates.

They were given the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded for loss of time. The NTA announced the revised rank list on July 1 after issuing the results of the re-test held on June 23.