Editor's Pick | NEET counselling from July third week, says govt

The Union government has said that counselling for eligible NEET-UG candidates will be conducted in four rounds from the third week of July even as the Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of the case to July 18. The government, in its latest affidavit, has banked on an IIT-Madras report to count out “mass malpractice” in the exam. The report’s executive summary claimed that there was no abnormality discovered in a centre and city-wise analysis that was done for two years. The analysis was carried out for the top 1.4 lakh ranks in the country. It further stated that there was no evidence of either mass malpractice or a localised set of candidates benefiting. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud accepted the request of lawyers to adjourn the hearing. Advocates Mathew J. Nedumpara and Charu Mathur, appearing for the petitioners, said the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had filed their counter-affidavits late on Wednesday, leaving little time for them to go through the documents. Chief Justice Chandrachud informed the assembled lawyers that the CBI has already filed a status report. During the previous hearing on July 8, the top court orally remarked that the sanctity of NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) was compromised beyond doubt. Despite this, the Chief Justice had expressed reluctance to order a re-test. The top judge reasoned that such a step would be an “extreme last resort”. The Centre said that candidatures of students found to be beneficiaries of any malpractices would be cancelled at any stage during the counselling process or even afterwards. It said the counselling process could be manoeuvred around such cancellations. The government explained that the allocation of seats would depend on the timing of the cancellation of seats if certain candidates were found to be beneficiaries of malpractices. Candidates are usually allowed to change seats in the first and second rounds of counselling as per the options exercised by them. Cancellation would not have any impact on the overall counselling process and allocation of seats if done before the third round, which is expected to start in the second week of September. If candidature is cancelled after the third round, the vacant seats could still be offered in the subsequent round. Candidates who have already been allocated seats in the earlier rounds would not be able to participate in the subsequent round, the government said. In case the candidature of any candidate is cancelled after the conclusion of four rounds, the vacated seats could be put up for additional rounds of counselling, the Centre submitted. The CBI on Thursday arrested one of the key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case from Jharkhand. Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky allegedly ran a racket involved in leaking the exam papers. Earlier this week, the CBI had searched 15 locations in Bihar and Jharkhand in connection with the case. A special CBI court has remanded him to CBI custody for 10 days. On June 30, the CBI team searched the house of Mr. Ranjan at Gagendra Bigha village in Hilsa block of Nalanda district. The team had to break the lock to enter the house. After a search for nearly an hour, the agency seized photocopies of some documents including a chequebook and voter and PAN cards. Sources said the accused had arranged MBBS students from Patna and Ranchi to solve the NEET question paper after the leak and that he is one of the trusted gang members of Sanjeev Mukhiya, who is believed to be the kingpin in the case. He is a relative of Mr. Mukhiya. Mr. Ranjan is the sixth person from Nalanda to be arrested in the case. In an editorial, The Hindu noted that the the only way to move forward from the distrust NEET has created is to ensure that the issue is debated threadbare on public platforms and all doubt is removed. “For the longer term, the government must introduce greater limpidity in the examination process, and make sure that the NTA and its line agencies remain committed to maintaining transparency,” it pointed out. The Hindu’s Editorials Can of worms: On NEET-UG 2024 Secular remedy: On the Muslim woman, maintenance and Court verdict The Hindu’s Daily Quiz Which Indian was named ICC’s Women’s Player of the Month for June? Deepti Sharma Harmanpreet Kaur Jemimah Rodrigues Smriti Mandhana To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 12 July 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 12 July 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( NEET counselling from July third week, says govt The Union government has said that counselling for eligible[NEET-UG candidates]( will be conducted in four rounds from the third week of July even as the Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of the case to July 18.  The government, in its latest affidavit, has banked on an [IIT-Madras]( report to count out “mass malpractice” in the exam. The report’s executive summary claimed that there was no abnormality discovered in a centre and city-wise analysis that was done for two years. The analysis was carried out for the top 1.4 lakh ranks in the country. It further stated that there was no evidence of either mass malpractice or a localised set of candidates benefiting. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud accepted the request of lawyers to adjourn the hearing. Advocates Mathew J. Nedumpara and Charu Mathur, appearing for the petitioners, said the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had filed their counter-affidavits late on Wednesday, leaving little time for them to go through the documents. Chief Justice Chandrachud informed the assembled lawyers that the CBI has already filed a status report. During the previous hearing on July 8, the top court orally remarked that the sanctity of NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) was compromised beyond doubt. Despite this, the Chief Justice had expressed reluctance to order a re-test. The top judge reasoned that such a step would be an “extreme last resort”. The Centre said that candidatures of students found to be beneficiaries of any malpractices would be cancelled at any stage during the counselling process or even afterwards. It said the counselling process could be manoeuvred around such cancellations. The government explained that the allocation of seats would depend on the timing of the cancellation of seats if certain candidates were found to be beneficiaries of malpractices. Candidates are usually allowed to change seats in the first and second rounds of counselling as per the options exercised by them. Cancellation would not have any impact on the overall counselling process and allocation of seats if done before the third round, which is expected to start in the second week of September. If candidature is cancelled after the third round, the vacant seats could still be offered in the subsequent round. Candidates who have already been allocated seats in the earlier rounds would not be able to participate in the subsequent round, the government said. In case the candidature of any candidate is cancelled after the conclusion of four rounds, the vacated seats could be put up for additional rounds of counselling, the Centre submitted. The CBI on Thursday arrested one of the key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case from Jharkhand. Rakesh [Ranjan alias Rock]( allegedly ran a racket involved in leaking the exam papers. Earlier this week, the CBI had searched 15 locations in Bihar and Jharkhand in connection with the case. A special CBI court has remanded him to CBI custody for 10 days. On June 30, the CBI team searched the house of Mr. Ranjan at Gagendra Bigha village in Hilsa block of Nalanda district. The team had to break the lock to enter the house. After a search for nearly an hour, the agency seized photocopies of some documents including a chequebook and voter and PAN cards. Sources said the accused had arranged MBBS students from Patna and Ranchi to solve the NEET question paper after the leak and that he is one of the trusted gang members of Sanjeev Mukhiya, who is believed to be the kingpin in the case. He is a relative of Mr. Mukhiya. Mr. Ranjan is the sixth person from Nalanda to be arrested in the case. In [an editorial, The HinduÂ]( that the the only way to move forward from the distrust NEET has created is to ensure that the issue is debated threadbare on public platforms and all doubt is removed.  “For the longer term, the government must introduce greater limpidity in the examination process, and make sure that the NTA and its line agencies remain committed to maintaining transparency,” it pointed out. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow] [Can of worms: On NEET-UG 2024Â]( [Arrow][Secular remedy: On the Muslim woman, maintenance and Court verdict]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz Which Indian was named ICC’s Women’s Player of the Month for June? - Deepti Sharma - Harmanpreet Kaur - Jemimah Rodrigues - Smriti Mandhana To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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