The Supreme Court has directed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to provide expert insight on a disputed question from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has requested the IIT Delhi Director to form a team of three subject experts. This team is tasked with determining the correct answer to a multiple-choice question for which the National Testing Agency (NTA) awarded marks for two different options.

The court has asked for the expert opinion to be submitted by Tuesday at 12 noon. This decision comes in response to a petition challenging the NTA’s choice to award marks for two options on a single question.

Petitioners argued that according to NTA instructions, students were to follow the latest edition of the NCERT textbook. They claim that option 4 was the correct answer as per the latest edition, while option 2 was correct according to the old NCERT syllabus.

The case has broader implications, as it’s part of a larger hearing on allegations of paper leaks and malpractices in the NEET-UG exam. The court is set to continue hearing arguments on Tuesday, including those from the NTA and the Centre.

During the proceedings, the bench also discussed potential paper leaks in Bihar, with police investigations suggesting a leak occurred on May 4, prior to the deposit of question papers in banks. The court is considering whether this leak was localized or indicative of a more widespread issue.

The NEET-UG 2024, conducted by the NTA on May 5, saw participation from approximately 24 lakh candidates across 4,750 centers. It serves as the gateway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses in both government and private institutions nationwide.

(Inputs from ANI)