New Delhi/IBNS: The Supreme Court on Thursday cancelled the scorecards of 1,563 students, who were given grace marks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2024, media reports said.

The court has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to give the students an option for a re-test on June 23.

The top court passed the order hearing a batch of pleas seeking the cancellation of the examination due to the alleged paper leak and irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the NTA but had refused to stay the ongoing counselling process for admission of selected candidates.

Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah told the NTA counsel as quoted by The Indian Express, "It’s not so simple that because you have done it (conducted the exam), it’s sacrosanct. We need answers for that…The sanctity has been affected. So we need answers."

Justice Vikram Nath said, " Let the counselling start. We are not stopping the counselling."

In their plea, the students said as quoted by The Indian Express, "After having stumbled upon news of the NEET exam paper leak they have been shaken at the core.

"Since the breaking of news on the NEET exam paper leak, the Petitioners are under tremendous stress and anxiety … their family members nurtured the dream of Petitioners becoming a medical practitioner one day."