On Friday, the Supreme Court’s panel of Justices DY Chandrachud, AS Bopanna, and JB Pardiwalla declined to hear petitions asking that the National Testing Agency (NTA) be directed to hold additional sessions of the IIT-JEE Mains Examination 2022 for both the first and second sessions, which were interrupted by technical difficulties.
The court recommended that the petitioners file a letters patent appeal before a division bench of the Delhi High Court in a group of appeals brought against a single judge order of the Delhi High Court.
“We do not encourage filing an Article 136 plea. File a letters patent appeal against the order. This is not maintainable,”
The Court held
The highest court added that given that the petitioners might file a letters patent appeal, it was more likely to deny Article 32 applications. It also raised concern about a rise in student anxiety as a result of the events.
“Sher Shah Suri road is a kilometre away and everything from Delhi High Court comes here. From Ernakulam no one is able to come here. Just because it is Delhi High Court you directly come here. we are not inclined to entertain this separate batch of writ petition under 32…We should in fact dismiss all the petitions then. Why should the HC be also confused then. So we are dismissing the Article 32 petitions. Let there be finality. You will only increase anxiety level of students”
The Bench Held
The Court granted Advocate Shoeb Alam’s request for permission to withdraw his Article 32 petition.
The JEE-Advanced will be held on Sunday, August 28, as scheduled, under the Court’s directive, which emphasised the need for regularity in public examinations.
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