NEET-UG 2024 Results: SC Orders Retest For Candidates Given Grace Marks

The Supreme Court of India has mandated the cancellation of scorecards for 1,563 candidates who received grace marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024. The affected candidates will be given an opportunity to retake the exam on June 23, with results to be announced on June 30 following a thorough investigation into allegations of irregularities and unfair marking practices in the nationwide medical entrance exam.

The announcement of the NEET-UG 2024 results has caused a nationwide debate, with parents and students alleging discrepancies and unfair practices. Allegations of a scam have surfaced, triggering widespread demands for an official investigation. Parents have expressed major worry about the date of the NEET-UG 2024 results announcement. 

Allegations of Timing Manipulation

The NTA announced the NEET UG results 2024 for over 24 lakh candidates on June 4 at the official website, exams.nta.ac.in, ten days before the results day. Parents have raised serious concerns regarding the timing of the NEET-UG 2024 results announcement. Originally scheduled for June 14, the results were unexpectedly released on June 4, coinciding with the day of counting, allegedly to avoid scrutiny from officials and the central government. This sudden change has fueled suspicions of deliberate manipulation aimed at concealing irregularities.

According to the NEET results for 2024, 67 applicants received All India Rank (AIR) 1 with a maximum score of 99.997129 percentile. This year, the NEET cut-offs for all categories have been increased.

Discrepancies in Exam Results

The controversy intensified when it was discovered that 67 students had achieved perfect scores, allegedly due to grace marks. Petitioners from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh highlighted the statistical improbability of such scores, questioning the integrity of the exam. They pointed out that the provisional answer key released by the NTA was contested by over 13,000 students, indicating discrepancies in the evaluation process.

A key point of contradiction is granting grace marks to students who lost time during the exam. Many medical students and their parents had raised multiple concerns about errors, suspected malpractices, misleading implementation of grace marks, and an alleged paper leak. According to the NTA, these candidates were compensated with additional marks to account for the lost time. "So, the candidate's marks can be 718 or 719 also," the NTA explains. 

The NTA compensates applicants for lost time, but the contradiction remains. The NTA reimbursed 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 applicants for losing time but declined to disclose the marking algorithm used in the settlement.

Krishan Sharma, a resident of the Jind district, voiced his frustration, stating that his daughter, along with thousands of other students, has been adversely affected. In a conversation, reported by TOI, Sharma reveals,  "An unprecedented number of students, 67, bagged the perfect score of 720 out of 720—and also other discrepancies are visible in the NEET-UG results. Of the total students receiving full marks, six have seat numbers from the same sequence and are from Haryana, indicating the chance of them being from the same centre."

Bagisha Tiwari, an 18-year-old Madhya Pradesh girl, died by suicide in Kota after performing poorly in the NEET-UG exam.

Although the NTA denied the  NEET paper leak allegations, which surfaced even before the exam, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police Department detained 13 individuals in connection with the NEET UG  paper leak case. Later, the testing organisation planned re-examinations in Rajasthan for candidates with different question papers. 

There have also been reports of  NEET irregularities in Gujarat and Odisha. A criminal case has been filed against three people in Gujarat's Godhra district, including a school teacher, for allegedly helping six NEET candidates crack the question paper in exchange for Rs 10 lakh from each candidate. One of the examinees paid an advance fee of Rs 7 lakh to the teacher, which the police seized.

Circulation of Dubious Scorecards

Adding to the controversy, scorecards of students scoring 718 and 719 have been widely circulated on social media. Critics argue that these scores are implausible under the NEET scoring system, where each question is worth four marks and incorrect answers incur a penalty of one mark. Moreover, scorecards of students scoring 718 and 719 are also being circulated on social media, which is being claimed that it's impossible to achieve in the paper, when each NEET question carries four marks and one mark each is given for negative marking.

High Cut-Offs and Their Impact

The high cut-offs resulting from the alleged grace marks have significantly reduced the chances of many candidates securing admission to government medical colleges. Parents argue that the NTA should have provided extra time to students who faced disruptions during the exam, rather than resorting to grace marks. 

Harish Vasisth, the additional deputy commissioner in Jind district, confirmed that the complaints from parents are being taken seriously and have been escalated to higher officials. "Their issues and doubts seem genuine and the matter is being taken up by apprising higher officials," he added

Priyanka Gandhi Alleges Irregularities 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has raised serious concerns over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2024 results, calling for a thorough investigation into alleged irregularities. Vadra, through her official communication channels, has highlighted multiple issues surrounding the NEET 2024 results.

Through her official X handle, Vadra stated, "First, the NEET exam paper was leaked, and now students are alleging a scam in the results. Serious questions are being raised over six students from the same centre scoring 720 out of 720 marks, and various irregularities are coming to light."

She also expressed deep sorrow over these tragic incidents, which highlight the severe emotional and psychological toll the controversy has had on students. "There are reports of many children committing suicide across the country after the results were announced. This is very sad and shocking."

Vadra has questioned the government's inaction regarding the alleged paper leak and the broader issues surrounding the NEET results: "Why is the government ignoring the voices of lakhs of students? Students want answers to legitimate questions related to the rigging of the NEET exam results. Is it not the government's responsibility to investigate and resolve these legitimate complaints?" she stated. 

In response to these allegations, a committee was formed to review the results of the candidates who were awarded grace marks. The committee's investigation, conducted over meetings on June 10, 11, and 12, concluded that the scorecards of these candidates should be invalidated, resulting in the need for a retest.

Supreme Court's Stand and Future Actions

The Supreme Court has maintained its stance that the ongoing counselling process for NEET-UG 2024 admissions will not be halted. Counselling for MBBS, BDS, and other courses is set to commence on July 6. Despite the re-examination order, the Court emphasised that the overall examination process should continue without interruption to ensure timely admissions.

The Centre and the NTA have been issued notices regarding the petitions seeking the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 results. The Supreme Court will address these petitions on July 8, potentially influencing the future of the affected candidates and the examination's credibility.

The decision to invalidate the scorecards and offer a retest reflects that only the most deserving candidates secure admission to medical colleges, upholding the standards of medical education in India.

However, this situation has added stress and uncertainty for the 1,563 affected candidates. They now face the challenge of preparing for a retest on short notice, which could impact their performance and future prospects.