HC refuses to stay NEET 2018 results

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today refused to stay the results of the 2018 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on a plea alleging that the question papers were leaked. The NEET results were declared today at a time when Justice Pratibha M Singh was hearing the plea which also sought quashing of the entrance exam which was held on May 6 for admission to the medical and dental colleges across the country. The plea was filed by one of the candidates, who appeared in the exam at a Gurgaon centre.

The counsel said there was a shortage of question papers in one of the cities which showed that the papers were leaked. However, the counsel for the CBSE, which conducted the exam, said there was some confusion in the distribution of the question papers, but later it was sorted out and there was no shortage. The court also questioned the counsel for filing the petition during the vacations while the exam took place on May 6.

“Considering that a large number of students appeared in the examination, at this last minute, request for stay of the result and quashing of the NEET examination cannot be entertained,” the judge said, dismissing the application seeking a stay on the declaration of the results.

The court was informed that the Central Bureau of Investigation has also lodged an FIR after it received a complaint from the Central Bureau of Secondary Education (CBSE), alleging that a few touts helped students in qualifying the NEET exam in various government and private colleges across India. It asked the CBI and the CBSE to file a status report in the matter which should be treated as a PIL and listed it for hearing before the regular court in July.

A total of 13,26,725 candidates had appeared for the NEET on May 6, which was conducted in 136 cities in 11 languages. NEET is conducted by the CBSE for admission to the MBBS and the BDS courses in colleges run with the approval of the Medical Council of India and the Dental Council of India.