New Delhi:

Amid concerns over the National Eligibility-cum-Entry Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges, the Supreme Court today came down heavily on the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the nationwide exam for medical college aspirants.

“If there is even 0.001 percent negligence on the part of anyone, it must be dealt with thoroughly,” the Supreme Court said.

The Supreme Court, hearing a batch of petitions alleging irregularities in the examination, said it expected “timely action” from the NTA, saying the agency must ensure that all candidates are treated fairly.

“As an agency conducting the exam, you have to act fairly. If there is a mistake, say, 'Yes, that is a mistake and these are the actions we will take.' That at least creates confidence in your performance,” a panel of judges Vikram Nath and SVN Bhatti told the NTA.

The Supreme Court also noted that the agency should not forget the efforts made by students in preparing for one of the most difficult entrance exams in the country.

“Imagine someone who cheated the system becomes a doctor. He will harm society even more. Children study hard to pass the NEET exam,” it continues.

“The next hearing in this case will be on July 8.”

Last week, the NTA informed the Supreme Court that the remedial marks awarded to 1,563 candidates in the NEET-UG exam would be cancelled and the candidates would be given an opportunity to retake the exam on June 23. The results of the re-examination would be declared before June 30, the Supreme Court was informed.

If one of these candidates decides not to take the re-examination, his previous result will be reinstated without the additional points.

The results of the medical entrance examination, which was taken by 2.4 million students on May 5, were announced on June 4. Allegations soon surfaced that the exam papers had been leaked. 67 students scored the highest mark of 720/720.

Several students were awarded additional points, supposedly to compensate for the time lost in the examination center.

Many student organisations have protested against the alleged irregularities in NEET, including distribution of wrong question papers, torn Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) papers or delays in the distribution of papers.