NTA-NEET information for disabilities students; The top court said the National Testing Agency (NTA) should also train its invigilators who are at the ground level in the examination centers on how they should deal with students with disabilities.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) exam brochure should have a specific section for candidates with disabilities to show what benefits are available to them.
The top court said the National Testing Agency (NTA) should also train its invigilators who are at the ground level in the examination centers on how they should deal with students with disabilities.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna made the observation while hearing a plea by a female student suffering from dysgraphia, who complained that she was not given an extra hour of time to attempt questions and her answer sheet was cleared by an invigilator. snatched away.
Sufficient compensation should be given along with grace marks or no negative marking in case he/she demands re-examination or wrong answers.
Advocate Rupesh Kumar, appearing for the National Testing Agency, submitted that it only conducts examinations and declares results and does not have much control at the ground level.
“We have conducted webinars for invigilators, but still at the ground level, the situation is sometimes unbearable,” he said, adding that the result of the examination has been declared.
Kumar said it is difficult for a candidate to conduct the re-examination or provide his/her grace marks because after that the entire merit list has to be changed.
He said the student had told in the middle of the exam that she needed an extra hour, due to which the invigilator at the center could not check the required provision.
Students attending NTA-NEET
“Around 16 lakh students have given the exam and hence it is difficult for a student to correct the result as the entire merit list has to be changed. It may also not be suitable for other students who may be placed if they are given grace marks,” he said.
The top court held that it would not be appropriate to order a re-examination for a student who has appeared for 16 lakh students.
Advocate Rishab Vidyarthi, appearing for the student, submitted that she has secured more than 90 percent marks in her class 10 and 12 examinations and a stroke of the court’s pen can change her future.
The bench said
The bench said, “These powers come with great responsibilities. We were discussing this case during the lunch break but you see there are several unseen students, who are not before the court they may be affected if we grant any relief.”
The bench said it will pass the order on the plea and ask NTA and NEET to include a specific section in the examination brochure for students with disabilities and also ask them to train invigilators appropriately.
“We are conscious of the fact that this child may lose a year. It was very heart-wrenching. There is a judgment of this court for people with disabilities, and the brochure for NEET must have a segment for them attributing what are the benefits available to them. There should be a disclosure in advance for students who are visually impaired dysmorphia and others”, it said.
The bench said there should be a policy for the students as to how they will be compensated if it is not their fault.
“How can one fix this where a candidate is losing through no fault of his own? Medical education is so competitive nowadays. There must be something for them.
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