New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a NEET candidate challenging a question on the grounds that it was ‘out-of-syllabus’. The petitioner argued that a question in the physics section, concerning ‘radioactivity’, was not part of the syllabus for NEET-UG this year.
The court stated that it cannot override the opinions of subject experts who determine the syllabus. According to the high court, it is not within its jurisdiction to question the expertise of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam. The NTA had formed a panel of experts who reviewed the questioned item and confirmed its relevance to the syllabus, specifically in the areas of ‘composition and size of nucleus’ and ‘atomic masses’ included under the chapter ‘Atoms and Nuclei’.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over the case, emphasised that the court is not equipped to assess academic content and must rely on the expertise of the NTA’s subject experts. “The court cannot substitute its understanding for that of the experts who are better equipped to handle such matters,” Sharma remarked.
In addition to this, the court also dismissed two other petitions from candidates who claimed that certain answers were wrongly recorded. The court noted that where errors are not immediately evident, it is not its role to re-evaluate or reassess the answers provided.
The NEET-UG 2024 examination took place on May 5 across 4,750 centres, with approximately 24 lakh candidates participating. Although results were initially scheduled for June 14, they were announced earlier on June 4 due to the expedited evaluation process.
Previously, on July 23, the Supreme Court had declined to cancel the NEET-UG 2024, stating there was insufficient evidence to suggest a systemic leak of question papers had compromised the exam’s integrity. The NEET-UG is a crucial examination for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses across government and private institutions nationwide.
**Bottom Footer**: Delhi High Court upholds NEET exam integrity, dismisses claims of ‘out-of-syllabus’ questions.