Apex court orders fresh pre-medical entrance test in four weeks

Test scrapped over 'leak' of question paper.

By (PTI/IANS)

Published: Tue 16 Jun 2015, 10:42 PM

Last updated: Thu 16 Jul 2015, 2:16 PM

New Delhi — In a major verdict, the Supreme court on Monday scrapped the All India Pre Medical Entrance Test (AIPMT) for the year 2015-16 following the leak of its question paper and circulation of their answer keys through electronic devices at different examination centres in 10 states across the country.

Over 630,000 students will have to take fresh test after the apex court ordered reconduct of the examination within four weeks.

A vacation bench of justices R K Agrawal and Amitava Roy directed the institutions involved in conduct of the examination to render assistance to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in this endeavour within the stipulated period decided by it. “Petitions are allowed. CBSE to hold AIPMT 2015 exam within four weeks,” the bench said in its verdict.

The apex court directed the re-examination in view of large-scale cheating in the test with students getting answers in the examination hall at many places.

The court had reserved its order on June 12 on petitions seeking reconduct of the AIPMT 2015 for alleged irregularities in the exam which was held on May 3, saying the examination stands vitiated even if one student is being benefitted illegally.

It had said that the CBSE could not be held guilty as such but taking into consideration the past incidents, “The CBSE ought to have been cognisant of these things”.

The CBSE, represented by Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar, had opposed the contentions seeking cancellation of the test, saying, “630,000 students cannot be made to take the exam afresh when only 44 students have been found involved in taking benefits through unfair means.”

Earlier, the vacation bench had asked Haryana Police to file a fresh report indicating the number of beneficiaries of the alleged irregularities in the pre-medical examination.

It had also asked police to identify as many candidates as possible who had been benefitted from the alleged leak.

The CBSE was to declare the results of the AIPMT, taken by over six lakh students, on June 5.

The court had said: “The bigger issue is that the sanctity of the examination is under suspicion. We want to be doubly sure that there is no alternative but to order reconduct of the exam,” adding that it did not want to take a decision “in haste”.
— PTI, IANS