A group of candidates has taken legal action by approaching the Supreme Court to demand a fresh NEET-UG 2024 exam, citing concerns over a paper leak and the integrity of the test.

The petition names the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a respondent and is filed by Shivangi Mishra and others. It highlights the issue of the alleged paper leak and the importance of maintaining the fairness of the examination, seeking an order for a new exam to be conducted.

According to the plea, the NEET-UG exam held on May 5 was marred by malpractices, with instances of paper leaks reported to the petitioners. The petition argues that this compromised the principles of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, as it unfairly advantaged some candidates over others who attempted the exam honestly. As per PTI report, the plea, filed on June 1 through lawyer Usha Nandini V, may be reviewed by a vacation bench.

The NEET UG 2024 exam faced controversy earlier due to a paper leak scandal in Bihar, resulting in the arrest of several individuals, including exam takers and their relatives. The Bihar Police's Economic Offences Unit revealed that those involved in the scam charged hefty sums from medical aspirants to provide them with the question papers before the exam.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was also submitted to the Supreme Court, seeking to halt the release of exam results. While the Court declined to do so, it agreed to examine the matter further, issuing notice on the PIL that requested a re-conduction of the NEET UG exams due to alleged malpractices and the paper leak scandal.

After the NTA released the NEET scorecard on June 4, 2024, questions arose regarding the credibility of the results. Notably, an unusually high number of candidates secured the top rank, and suspicions of a paper leak scam emerged on social media platforms. Concerns were raised about the marking pattern, particularly regarding candidates achieving scores of 718 or 719 out of 720.

NTA responded to these concerns by explaining that candidates received grace marks to compensate for the time lost during the exam, in accordance with the normalization formula endorsed by the Supreme Court.

In the midst of these controversies, NEET aspirants reached out to government officials, expressing their distress over the compromised integrity of the exam. They urged immediate actions to restore trust in the education system and ensure fairness for all aspiring students.

NEET-UG serves as the entrance exam for various medical and allied courses. Held on May 5, 2024, this year's exam results were declared by the NTA on June 4, 2024