Many NEET-UG aspirants and the opposition alleged irregularities in the exam results. (Photo/Unsplash)
The Education Ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to over 1,500 candidates for the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday.
The integrity of this year’s National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) exam has not been compromised, the NTA said in response to allegations of irregularities in the results declared on June 4.
“The issue affects only 1,600 candidates across six centres,” NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh said at a press conference on Saturday.
“The award of additional marks has not affected the qualifying criteria of the exam and the assessment of the results of the concerned candidates will not have any impact on the admission process,” he said, noting that the committee will submit the recommendations within a week and the results of these students may be revised.
Many NEET-UG aspirants and the opposition alleged irregularities in the exam results, with as many as 67 students scoring a perfect 720 out of 720 marks. The result also raised eyebrows after it was noted that six of these candidates were from the same exam center in Haryana.
NTA quotes SC judgment on pardon mark
“Some students alleged that they were given less time to take the exam because of the centre’s superintendent…,” Singh said, adding that the decision to grant grace marks was based on a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
“In 2018 there was a ruling by the Supreme Court… if there are any complaints about loss of time (during exams), there is a formula and compensation can be given on that basis. The committee thought this way the complaint could be addressed… so everyone’s grades have been increased.”
On the claim that scoring 718 and 719 marks is not possible, Singh noted that this was not possible due to the negative grading system of +4-1, but due to the scaling formula, the score can be 718 and 719, he added.
What are the allegations against the NEET-UG 2024 exam?
The issue of scoring 718 and 719 marks was raised by the Junior Doctors Network of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
“Some students have scored 718 and 719 marks, which is statistically questionable. There is no defined logic for the grace marks given to these students. No list of the given grace marks for students has been shared,” they said in a letter to NTA chairman Pradeep Kumar Joshi.
“NEET 2024 paper has been leaked in many locations but why no action has been taken yet? The provision for the grace marks due to wastage of time should have been mentioned in the information bulletin before the examination. Why did the National Testing Agency come up with the new rule after the investigation?” they asked.
Many students received different marks on their scorecards than on their OMR forms. These discrepancies were not due to grace marks as these students were not from the centers where grace marks were allegedly given, the letter said.
“A total of 67 students scored a perfect 720 out of 720, which is highly questionable. This has never happened before. Usually only three to four students score perfect grades. Moreover, six-seven of these students, out of 67 students, are from just one center in Haryana,” it added.
Dr. Indranil Deshmukh, national convener of IMA Junior Doctors Network, claimed that it was impossible for the students to score 718-719 marks due to the negative marking system.
State governments, including Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, have also questioned the assessment process and demanded a fresh probe.
The NEET exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers across 571 cities. More than 20.38 lakh students registered for the exam, of which 11.45 lakh candidates qualified. There are over 80,000 MBBS seats available in over 540 medical colleges in the country.
First print: June 8, 2024 | 4:21 pm IST