Centre sets up panel to review grace marks for 1,563 NEET candidates

Tribune News Service

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, June 8

Amid a backlash over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday announced the setting up of a four-member high-powered committee to review grace marks awarded to 1,563 students. Based on the recommendations of the committee, the NTA might conduct a re-examination for these 1,563 candidates.

“A high-powered committee has been set up to review the results of over 1,500 candidates. The four-member panel headed by a former UPSC chairman will submit its recommendations within a week and the results of these candidates might be revised,” NTA Director General (DG) Subodh Kumar Singh said. He said the verdict of the committee would not affect the MBBS counselling process. Ever since the NEET-UG result was announced on June 4, questions are being raised over reasons behind 67 students getting the top rank and two students scoring 718 and 719 marks, respectively. Concerns have also arisen over the declaration of the NEET result on June 4 (the day Lok Sabha results were announced) whereas the tentative date was June 14. A record more than 24 lakh candidates had registered for the exam this year.

Singh said at some centres adequate time was not given to the students resulting in “loss of time”. These centres were in Meghalaya, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Chandigarh. “At some centres adequate time was not given as question papers were given late or wrong question papers were given. Some students moved the Supreme Court over the issue. After constituting a committee and examining details, including the CCTV footage, we found students should be compensated and grace marks were awarded to them,” the NTA DG said.

“Of these 67 candidates, 17 got the rank on merit, 44 students got the top rank after grace marks were awarded for a question in physics section. The subject experts felt that two options could be correct instead of one, so grace marks were awarded. Six more students got the top rank due to grace marks because of loss of exam time,” he said.

“We have analysed the result transparently. Of the 4,750 centres, the problem was limited to only six. The integrity of the exam was not compromised,” he added.

Singh said if the need arose, the examination would be conducted again.

“The high-powered committee will analyse the results of candidates who were given grace marks. If it recommends re-examination, then it will be conducted,” he added.

Medical aspirants have also questioned the NTA over awarding grace marks when it was not mentioned in its information brochure. “This was done so that students who faced loss of time are not at any disadvantage. We will revisit our SOPs,” Singh said.

Responding to the allegations of paper leak in which the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police have made arrests, Singh said that NTA was cooperating with the police.

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