NEET-UG 2024 ’paper leak’: Entire paper solved in 45 minutes? CJI Chandrachud flags NTA’s ’hypothesis’

The Supreme Court on Thursday brainstormed the exact date and time to ascertain when the NEET-UG 2024 exam papers were “leaked”. Was it before May 3 or just 45 minutes before the exam on May 5? Or did the paper leak happen when question papers were in the custody of banks or with the centres or the private player/printers?

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Thursday that there were two scenarios for the paper leak and that "the whole hypothesis that the entire paper was solved in 45 minutes and given to students is too far-fetched."

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Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NTA and Centre, contended that there was "no leak" that took place, but a "breach" had happened at “a particular centre, between 8.02 AM to 9.23 AM.” He said, "A person goes in, photographs the paper and comes out," Live Law reported.

To this, the CJI said, "Assuming that happens, according to you that students got papers at 10.15 AM [during exams]. There are 180 questions. Is it possible that between 9.30 and 10.15 there were problem solvers and send them to students in 45 minutes?

The SG claimed that there were seven solvers, and they divided 25 students each. "The questions were jumbled, so students were made to memorise," he added.

"The whole hypothesis that the entire paper was solved in 45 minutes and given to students is too far-fetched," the CJI said. He said even one hour "seem far fetched" after the SG interrupted.

The CJI further observed, "What is worrying us is, how much was the period between the breach occurred and the exam? If the time period is 3 days, obviously there is a greater danger."

"Does somebody pay 75,000 for 45 minutes?," the CJI said

The scenarios

During the hearing on Thursday, the petitioner's counsel Hooda said the NTA's case is that the question papers were dispatched to the exam centres on April 24 through a private courier company. It reached the State Bank of India (SBI) and Canara banks on May 3.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said these question papers were sent to the SBI/Canara bank branches in 571 cities.

CJI Chandrachud added there are two possibilities of paper leak. "If it was leaked before it was in the banks...then the leak may have happened before May 3...or the leak happened after the papers were disseminated from banks and is bound for centres...so going by NTA hypothesis...from 8:15 to 10:15 unlikely that leak happened, solved and students memorised it," he said.

CBI to probe…

The CJI later said that an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will reveal as to us when the accused received the question paper. "It will show the time period of leak," he said.

The CJI further noted that "shorter it [the time period is] is, the lesser the chance of widespread leak... like paying 75 lakhs for such a paper leaked 45 minutes ago..."