New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Education has formed a four-member panel to reassess the results of over 1,500 students who were awarded grace marks due to time loss during the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG) for undergraduate medical course admissions, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday. The announcement of NEET 2024 results on June 4 sparked widespread controversy, with many aspirants and parents demanding an investigation and a “re-exam,” alleging that the exam was leaked at certain centers, resulting in high scores for some students. There has been significant outrage over the pre-medical entrance examination, particularly regarding the “inflation of marks” for 1,563 students who were compensated for lost time.
Students from at least six centers in states such as Meghalaya, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Surat, and Chandigarh reported issues during the exam, including receiving the wrong question paper, damaged OMR sheets, or delays in distributing OMR sheets, which prevented them from getting the full 3 hours and 20 minutes to complete the test. According to NTA officials, the four-member panel, led by a former Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairperson, will re-examine the results of these 1,563 students.
NTA Director General (DG) Subodh Kumar Singh stated that the committee will investigate the compensatory marks awarded to these students and submit its recommendations within a week. Based on these recommendations, the results of the affected candidates may be revised to ensure the counselling and admission processes remain unaffected. Singh assured that the grace marks awarded have not impacted the qualifying criteria for the exam and that reviewing the results will not delay the admission process.
When questioned about the formula used to provide grace marks, Singh explained that it was based on a 2018 Supreme Court judgment addressing time loss faced by candidates. However, the exact formula was not disclosed, with Singh mentioning that students were compensated based on the questions they attempted within the available time.
Regarding the possibility of re-conducting the exam for certain students, Singh said that it would depend on the committee’s recommendations. He emphasized that the goal is to ensure no student is disadvantaged due to lost time. Singh also denied allegations of paper leaks and irregularities at exam centers, asserting that the exam’s integrity remained intact.
Addressing concerns about six of the 67 toppers coming from the same center in Haryana, Singh noted that an analysis revealed the average marks of students from that center were higher than those of at least 23 lakh other students. These students were already high scorers and further benefited from the grace marks awarded due to time loss.
Previously, the NTA stated that the increased number of toppers was due to changes in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks and an overall easier question paper. A specific issue arose with a Physics question that had different correct answers depending on whether students used old or new NCERT textbooks. As a result, the NTA awarded five marks to all students who selected either of the two correct options, increasing the scores of 44 students from 715 to 720 and consequently raising the number of toppers.
The committee will not address the issue related to the Physics question marks. The NEET-UG 2024 results have also led to a political row, with opposition parties including Congress and the AAP calling for an investigation into the matter.
