New Delhi/IBNS: Amid fierce political and legal arguments over claims the exam paper for the 2024 NEET-UG test, for admission to undergraduate medical courses, leaked online, the Supreme Court on Monday heard a challenge to a single question - No. 29 - that a petitioner alleged had ambiguous choices.

The petitioner argued that this ambiguity's consequences were significant in a competitive exam with negative marks for incorrect answers.

The consequence was that 44 students, who opted for the 'incorrect' answer, were awarded 'grace marks' and scored 720/720.

The petitioner opted not to answer the question and scored 711 out of 720.

She argued that had the National Testing Agency, which conducts this exam, refused to give marks for that question, she would have scored in higher percentiles.

Instead, the NTA gave full marks to any who picked either "ambiguous" option.

"...by giving marks to those who answered even 'option 2', you are increasing the number of toppers... (this is) her argument," the bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said.

The court recognised the petitioner's argument as a powerful one and pointed to the NTA's pre-exam instruction - to follow a new, revised edition of the textbook. If 'option 4' is the correct answer as per the latest NCERT textbook, then how could those who answered 'option 2' get full marks, it asked.

To resolve this issue the court sought the opinion of experts. "We request the Director of IIT Delhi to constitute a team of three experts... requested to formulate an opinion on the correct option."

This opinion, the court said, is to be submitted by Tuesday noon.