Counselling for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 has been postponed and is now anticipated to start by the end of July, as reported by PTI.

Initially, the counselling sessions were set to commence in the first week of this month, but the official date has yet to be announced.

In June, the Supreme Court declined to delay the counselling process following a petition seeking a two-day pause.

The issuance of permission letters to some medical colleges is ongoing, with additional seats likely to be added, according to sources cited by PTI.

“The date of counselling will be announced once the exercise is completed to ensure seats in new colleges can be included in the first round,” an official source told PTI.

Amidst calls to cancel NEET-UG 2024 due to alleged irregularities and question paper leaks, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) informed the Supreme Court that cancelling the exam without evidence of a large-scale breach would be counterproductive and could jeopardize the future of many honest candidates.

The Centre has filed an affidavit in the SC opposing the petitions seeking the recall of NEET-UG 2024 results and a fresh examination.

The education ministry argued that the petitions’ requests for cancellation and re-examination based on “surmises” and “conjectures” should be rejected.

In its affidavit, the NTA stated that the alleged malpractices were confined to the Patna and Godhra centers and should not warrant the cancellation of the entire exam.

A high-level panel has been established to recommend measures for the effective, smooth, and transparent conduct of examinations by the NTA.

The Supreme Court will hear the case on July 8.