The NEET-UG examination, overseen by the NTA, is a gateway for medical admissions.
Alakh Pandey, founder of the prominent EdTech firm Physics Wallah, has petitioned the Supreme Court to address the issues surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 examination. This national-level entrance test, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and crucial for admissions into MBBS and other medical courses, has been embroiled in controversy over alleged irregularities.
Mr Pandey's petition claims the alleged arbitrary awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 candidates by the NTA. He has requested the Supreme Court to establish an expert panel to scrutinise the examination process and its results. The NEET-UG 2024, held on May 5 across 4,750 centres, saw participation from approximately 24 lakh candidates. While results were anticipated on June 14, they were announced early on June 4, allegedly due to expedited answer sheet evaluations.
Controversy erupted following allegations of question paper leaks and the granting of grace marks, leading to widespread protests and legal challenges in seven high courts and the Supreme Court. The unprecedented performance, with 67 students scoring a perfect 720 - including six from a single centre in Haryana's Faridabad - has raised suspicions of irregularities.
On June 10, students gathered in Delhi, demanding a thorough investigation into these allegations. It is believed that the contentious grace marks may have contributed to the unusually high number of top scorers.
The NEET-UG examination, overseen by the NTA, is a gateway for medical admissions in both government and private institutions across India. However, the integrity of this year's process has been called into question, prompting protests and legal scrutiny.
In response to the uproar, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assured aspirants and parents that there is no substantial evidence of a paper leak. He said that the allegations are under investigation by competent authorities.
"There's no evidence of any paper leak yet. There are allegations and competent authorities are looking into them. Certain allegations and loose information are coming in. Let us wait for the probe by the authorities concerned. Let's wait till July 8 for the Supreme Court's judgment. There's nothing to hide..." Mr Pradhan told NDTV.
The minister reassured students, noting that the Supreme Court has already delivered a judgment on the issue. He announced that all 1,563 affected students would have the opportunity to reappear for the exam, especially those from the six centres where time constraints were reported.
Despite these measures, questions remain about the NTA's response before the Supreme Court's intervention.
"That is not true. After the anomaly came to light, the NTA came up with a formula - the grace mark formula. It was cited by the Supreme Court as well. However, some anomalies were found in that formula because six students became the highest scorers on the list. That was an eyesore for many students," Mr Pradhan said.
A delegation of students and parents met with Mr Pradhan, who urged them to trust the government's intentions and efforts to rectify the situation. He dismissed calls to scrap the NEET, pointing out that the entrance exam remains a fair metric, citing last year's top performer from a rural Tamil Nadu state board.