Delhi HC Rejects Plea Against CAT 2024 Results, Cites No Grounds for Interference

Despite multiple objections from candidates, including the petitioner, the final answer key remained unchanged, and the results were announced on December 19, details blow.

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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the results of the CAT 2024 examination, which is crucial for admission to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top business schools. The petition was filed by a candidate who claimed that inaccuracies in the official answer key significantly impacted the examination results. While passing the order the bench said there was no reason to interfere. During the hearing on January 3, Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju noted that judicial intervention in competitive exams is generally limited to cases involving substantial errors. The Court emphasized that it could not intervene in such disputes unless there were specific and compelling circumstances.

The petitioner argued that there was a clear error in one of the questions in the exam, citing feedback from CAT coaching institutes and other candidates who had raised objections. It was revealed that 272 objections had been filed concerning a specific question, but IIM Calcutta, which conducted the exam, had failed to explain why its answer was deemed correct. Moreover, the identities of the experts who reviewed these objections had not been disclosed, raising concerns about transparency.

Videos from coaching institutes, which pointed out the discrepancies, were presented as evidence of the alleged error. The petitioner urged the Court to consider these materials. Senior Advocate Arvind Nayar, representing IIM Calcutta, strongly opposed the plea, defending the examination process. He argued that a committee of subject matter experts had thoroughly reviewed all objections and maintained that differing opinions did not invalidate their expert judgment. The credentials of these experts were submitted to the Court in a sealed cover.

The petitioner's counsel also drew attention to a recent Delhi High Court ruling, where errors in the CLAT exam answer key led to a revision of results. He criticized IIM Calcutta for its lack of transparency in handling the objections and for releasing the results before addressing the raised concerns. The petitioner contended that the early declaration of results, which deviated from the expected timeline, denied candidates sufficient time to seek legal remedies.

The CAT 2024 examination took place on November 24, with a provisional answer key released on December 3. Despite numerous objections raised by candidates, including the petitioner, the final answer key was published without any changes, and the results were declared on December 19. The petitioner has called for the results to be set aside and has requested the formation of an expert committee to reassess the disputed answers.