The Supreme Court on Monday asked the director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to set up a team of experts that would look into a particular questioned asked in the controversial NEET-UG 2024 examination and submit a report on the correct answer by Tuesday afternoon.

According to a PTI report, the apex court took note of the submissions by some aspirants pointing out that a question related to an ‘atom’ and its characteristics had two correct answers. The submissions claimed that a set of examinees who gave one particular answer out of the two correct ones were awarded four marks.

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The petitioners contended before the top court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that it would have a “significant impact” on the final merit list of successful candidates, the PTI report added.

“As indicated in the question as framed, of which students had to select one option as their answer. In order to resolve the issue as regards the correct answer, we are of the considered view that an expert opinion should be sought from IIT Delhi.”

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“We request the Director of IIT Delhi to constitute a team of three experts of the subject concerned. The expert team constituted by the Director is requested to formulate the opinion on the correct option and remit the opinion to the Registrar by 12 noon tomorrow,” the bench was quoted by PTI as saying. The bench will resume hearing on Tuesday the pleas related to the exam.

The Supreme Court is hearing more than 40 petitions including ones those filed by the National Testing Agency seeking the transfer of cases pending against it in various high courts.

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The NEET-UG examination was held on May 5, taken by over 23.33 lakh students at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 overseas. The NTA is under scanner over alleged irregularities in the competitive examinations including paper leaks.

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Last month, the Narendra Modi government had set up a high-member panel to review functioning of the NTA and suggest examination reforms. On Monday, the ministry of education informed the Parliament that over 170 employees at the NTA are either contractual or outsourced staff.

The ministry, however, clarified that “all core activities involving setting up of question papers” for the exams conducted by the agency are not outsourced.