'Don't want to fail in Physics': SC orders check of subject exam question in Hindi

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to set up a committee of three experts to examine the correctness of a physics question in Hindi in the NEET-UG 2021 exam.

During the hearing, a bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud remarked: "We do not want to fail in physics, as we do not know anything about the subject."

The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath, said it will be better if the physics question in Hindi is examined by experts, who understand both Hindi and English.

The petitioners had alleged a discrepancy in the Hindi version of the question paper, claiming that a question had a different meaning in English.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) agreed before the apex court to examine the alleged error in the Hindi translation of the physics question.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NTA, submitted the question will be evaluated again by a panel and an affidavit will be filed in the matter citing the conclusion of the panel.

He said that the authorities have requested three neutral experts - one knowing only Hindi, one knowing only English, and one knowing both. He cited a matter, wherein the court held that the English language question for NEET would prevail in case of any ambiguity.

Counsel for the petitioners, submitted that the Hindi version did not have word for "amplitude", and because of this, another answer was correct for the Hindi question.

She submitted that out of the 15 lakh students, 2 lakh opted for the Hindi paper in NEET-UG 2021 and there was negative marking for wrong options.

The bench asked Mehta if the issue can be re-examined by a panel of three other experts.

As Mehta agreed to this suggestion, the top court, in its order, said: "During the course of the hearing, Mr Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General, has submitted that in order to allay the apprehensions of students who appeared for the NEET (UG) 2021 with Hindi as the medium, the solutions to both the Hindi and the English versions of Question No 2 of Section-A in the Physics Paper (Code P2) shall be evaluated again by a committee consisting of three experts. After this process is done, it has been submitted that an affidavit would be filed before this Court setting out the result of the evaluation of the solutions."

The petition was filed by Wajda Tabassum and other NEET candidates challenging the "discrepancy and patent error" in question no 2 of Section A (physics).