VIBHUTI NEGI Vs. NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner undertook the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for entrance into Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other Engineering Colleges, which provide admissions based on the JEE. The JEE is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The petitioner alleges that the NTA uploaded, on its website, two response sheets and two score cards of the petitioner. The first response sheet is stated to have been uploaded on the website of the NTA on 6/2/2024 and downloaded by the petitioner on 7/2/2024 at 2.33 am. The second response sheet is stated to have been downloaded at 11.10 am on 8/2/2024. The score cards were downloaded at 6 am and 8 am on 12/2/2024. The first score card reflected her score as 99.8493935 percentile and the second score card reflected her score as 74.5733907 percentile.

(2.) According to the petitioner, the first response sheet which was uploaded on 6/2/2024, and the first score card which was downloaded by her at 6 am on 12/2/2024 and which reflected her score as 99.8493935 percentile, are correct, and the second response sheet which was uploaded on 8/2/2024 and the corresponding score card which was downloaded by the petitioner at 8 am on 12/2/2024 do not pertain to her and are incorrect. She, therefore, seeks issuance of an appropriate writ, quashing the second response sheet which was downloaded by her on 8/2/2024 at 11.10 am and the second score card which was downloaded by her at 8 am on 12/2/2024.Facts

(3.) The JEE, which is conducted by the NTA, has to be cleared by any candidate who seeks entry into any of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), apart from certain other reputed engineering institutions. The JEE is held in two stages, the first of which is referred to as the JEE (Mains) and the second as the JEE (Advanced). According to the averments in the writ petition, the candidate has two attempts at the JEE (Mains) and two attempts at JEE (Advanced), and the better of the two attempts is adopted as the candidate's score. The two attempts at the JEE (Mains) are referred to as Session 1 and Session 2. A candidate may opt to attempt only one of the two Sessions or to attempt both. In the latter case, the better score of the candidate would be taken.