In a verdict that will affect lakhs of hopeful doctoral candidates, the Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the results of the May 3 All India Pre-Medical Test examination (AIPMT) results following allegations of large-scale irregularities, including leakage of answer keys.
A bench of justice RK Agarwal and justice Amitava Roy also ordered that fresh tests must be held within a month. They added that all institutes involved in the AIPMT exam process must co-operate with the CBSE to conduct the retest.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by candidates, who wrote the exam, seeking its cancellation.
The exam results, which were to be declared by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on June 5, have been at the centre of controversy since the irregularities were discovered.
On the last hearing, the apex court had come on heavily on CBSE, questioning the education body on its security measures to prevent such practices.
“You (CBSE) are an institution conducting the exam. Why did you not take precautions? This modus operandi was followed last year also. You must have been aware,” the bench had said while reserving its order for June 15.
The CBSE was scheduled to declare the AIPMT results on June 5, but the declaration was postponed after the apex court on June 3 directed the board not to do so till June 10 in the light of the allegations.
The SC had also given Haryana police a week to find the real beneficiaries of the illegal practices followed in the exam. The court wanted these students to be identified so they can be eliminated when the results are declared.
Over 6 lakh students had appeared for the AIPMT exam this year.
Large-scale irregularities, including leakage of answer keys, had come to the light earlier, with the investigators informing the court that the answer keys of 123 questions were transmitted through 75 mobile phones in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Haryana.
A day before the SC verdict, Hindustan Times’ report on a further delay in declaring the results on June 12 evoked responses from a large number of students and those affected by the developments.
