 "Junior doctors under banner of Trinamool Congress Medical Cell participate in a protest against alleged irregularities in NEET-UG 2024 results, in Kolkata, June. 11, 2024. (PTI)")
The Centre has notified the Supreme Court of its decision to annul the scorecards of 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates who received grace marks. This decision follows allegations of malpractice during the examination process, reported NDTV.
In a Thursday statement, the Centre assured the court that these 1,563 students will have the opportunity to retake the test.
The Centre elaborated on the measures undertaken to address the issue. A committee convened on June 10, 11, and 12 to thoroughly investigate the allegations. Based on the committee’s findings, the scorecards of the affected candidates will be invalidated, and a re-examination will be arranged for these students.
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its decision to allow the counselling process for NEET-UG 2024 to continue without interruption.
“Counselling will proceed as scheduled and there will be no interruption. If the exam continues, everything else will proceed as well, so there is no cause for concern,” the court said.
The retest for NEET-UF 2024 is scheduled for June 23, and the results will be announced on June 30.
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Education Minister rejects allegations of NEET paper leak
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan rejected allegations of paper leak in NEET-UG exam, saying there is no evidence of it.
"There is no evidence of paper leak in NEET-UG. The allegations of corruption in NTA are unfounded, it is a very credible body," Pradhan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"The Supreme Court is hearing the matter and we will abide by its decision. We will ensure no student is at a disadvantage," he added.
Opposition demands SC monitored investigation
The Opposition, on the other hand, demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the NEET UG matter.
“The Congress believes that BJP govt attitude towards an ongoing NEET issue is irresponsible and insensitive. We demand SC monitored investigation into this scandal that has affected 2.4 million aspirants. We believe no inquiry can be unbiased if it is done by NTA. Its chairperson should be removed,” said Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi at a press conference in Delhi.
“The Congress believes that BJP govt attitude towards an ongoing NEET issue is irresponsible and insensitive. We demand SC monitored investigation into this scandal that has affected 2.4 million aspirants. We believe no inquiry can be unbiased if it is done by NTA. Its chairperson should be removed,” said Congress leader and MP Gaurav Gogoi at a press conference in Delhi.
“Instead of paying attention to this issue, the prime minister is busy with oath-taking and going abroad. INDIA alliance will take up this issue. We will raise it in Parliament too,” Gogoi added.
NEET-UG 2024 controversy
The NEET-UG 2024 results have been mired in controversy due to allegations of irregularities and a paper leak, casting a shadow over the credibility of the examination. This year's inflated marks have sparked concern among medical aspirants, worried about the challenges of securing admission to medical colleges in the upcoming academic year.
A notable 67 candidates achieved the top rank by securing a percentile of 99.997129, with six of these candidates appearing from the same exam centre. The average score among qualified candidates stood at 323.55 out of 720.
The integrity of the results was further questioned when students reported scores of 718 and 719 in an exam that follows a +4 -1 marking scheme. The National Testing Agency (NTA) clarified that approximately 1,563 candidates were compensated for the loss of time during the examination, leading to revised scores ranging from -20 to 720. Among these candidates, two received compensatory marks resulting in scores of 718 and 719.
The NTA acknowledged receiving numerous concerns regarding the time lost during the exam.
An official from the NTA disclosed that the question paper was based on a new National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbook, whereas some students had prepared using older editions. To rectify this issue, five marks were awarded to all students who selected one of the two options. Consequently, the scores of 44 students increased from 715 to 720, resulting in an increased number of top scorers.
