On Monday, the Supreme Court of India refused to entertain a new plea challenging the government’s decision to cancel the UGC-NET examination due to an alleged question paper leak. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra emphasized that intervening at this stage could lead to widespread “chaos.”
Key Points:
- Decision to Cancel: The UGC-NET exam, initially held on June 18, 2024, was canceled a day later after concerns arose regarding the integrity of the examination due to a potential question paper leak.
- Re-Examination Scheduled: The government has scheduled a fresh UGC-NET exam on August 21, 2024. The bench noted that the decision to cancel the exam and hold it afresh was made to ensure fairness and certainty for the approximately nine lakh students affected.
- Supreme Court’s Stand: Chief Justice Chandrachud highlighted that entertaining the plea at this point would only exacerbate the uncertainty and create confusion. The court, therefore, declined to consider the plea filed by Praveen Dabas and others, stating that the process should now proceed without further disruption.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the same issue, which had been filed by a lawyer rather than the aggrieved students themselves. The court had advised that such matters should be brought forward by those directly affected, rather than by legal representatives with no direct stake in the issue.
Government’s Precaution:
The Supreme Court remarked that the Central government acted with caution, especially in light of the previous issues related to the NEET-UG exam, leading to the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam and the subsequent involvement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation.
