The Delhi High Court has instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to ensure the prompt release of the final answer key for the Central University Entrance Test (CUET), ensuring that it is uploaded at least one day prior to the announcement of the results.

Justice C. Hari Shankar, on the bench, issued this directive following an assurance from Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who represented the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The court underscored the necessity for the National Testing Agency (NTA) to address objections to the provisional answer key before the release of the final results. This ruling was made in response to a petition filed by a Central University Entrance Test (CUET) candidate challenging the final results of the 2022 test, which were declared without revealing the conclusive answer key.

The petitioner argued that the National Testing Agency (NTA) released the final results without granting candidates access to the conclusive answer key, despite the examination of objections. The single-judge bench observed that even after the declaration of the final results for the Central University Entrance Test (CUET), a subsequent review of objections to the provisional answer key took place, prompting the court to seek an explanation from the NTA.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma contended that the re-examination of answer keys after the declaration of final results might have been avoidable but was carried out in good faith. This was particularly warranted, as a substantial number of objections were received even after the final result had been announced.

The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) mentioned that the decision to reassess the objections was made in the best interest of the students, taking into consideration the unique circumstance that the Central University Entrance Test (CUET) was being conducted for the first time.

“However, the Court has been assured that in future, this would not happen and that any exercise of consideration of objections to the provisional answer key would be undertaken only prior to the final result of the examination of the CUET.''