Chronology of events in NEET-UG 2024 case

Following is the chronology of events in the NEET-UG 2024 case in which the Supreme Court on Monday observed that sanctity of the exam is "breached" in view of the question paper leak:

* Feb 9, 2024: Public notice for NEET-UG 2024 issued by National Testing Agency (NTA) for online submission of application form.

* May 5: NEET-UG 2024 exam conducted at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.

* May 17: SC seeks responses from Centre and NTA on plea alleging irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 held on May 5.

* June 4: Results for NEET-UG 2024 declared, 67 candidates bagged top rank.

* June 11: Observing that sanctity of NEET-UG 2024 has been affected, the SC sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea seeking holding of a fresh examination on grounds of alleged question paper leak and other malpractices.

* June 13: Centre tells SC it has cancelled grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the NEET-UG examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses. Centre says they will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time.

* June 14: SC sought responses from the Centre and the NTA on a plea seeking a CBI probe into allegations of question paper leak and other irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.

* June 18: SC said even if there was "0.001 per cent negligence" on the part of anyone in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2024 examination, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

* June 23: As many as 813 of the 1,563 candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks in NEET-UG appeared for a re-test, officials said.

* July 1: Number of candidates sharing top rank in medical entrance test NEET-UG reduced to 61 from 67 as the NTA announced revised results.

* July 5: Scrapping NEET-UG 2024 exam in entirety would "seriously jeopardise" lakhs of honest candidates and not be rational in the absence of any proof of large-scale breach of confidentiality, the Centre told the SC.

* July 5: NTA tells SC that cancellation of NEET-UG 2024 would be hugely counterproductive and significantly harmful to the larger public interest, especially to the career prospects of those who cleared it.