NEET 2024 Result Controversy: Panel To Review Grace Marks of Over 1,500 Candidates

The four-member committee will be formed to review the results of over 1,500 candidates who were awarded grace marks to compensate for the loss of time suffered while appearing for this year NEET exams said NTA and Union Education minister. This announcement came amid an uproar over NEET-UG results this year with states such as Maharashtra demanding a retest and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged discrepancies highlighted by students on social media.

The announcement of the results was made on June 4, drawing immediate attention due to the extraordinarily large number of candidates who achieved a perfect score of 720/720. However, there were also reports of some candidates receiving marks of 718 or 719, which raised concerns as those scores were deemed impossible within the exam's grading scheme. Allegations of a paper leak surfaced, although the National Testing Agency (NTA) denied any irregularities.

On Saturday, NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh refuted claims of irregularities in the results. He attributed the unusually high number of top rankers (67) to a relatively easier paper this year and the agency's decision to award additional marks to students whose exams were delayed. Singh stated that a committee would investigate the results of the 1,500 candidates who were granted grace marks. A panel comprising a former UPSC chairman, and three other academicians has been selected to review these cases. The committee is expected to deliver its verdict before the following Saturday, although the NTA clarified that this decision would not impact other results. Singh assured that the admission process for MBBS courses would proceed smoothly, despite ongoing investigations.

Currently, 1,563 students, including six top rankers, have been granted grace marks based on a normalization formula, which the NTA has not disclosed. These candidates were from six centers across various states. Meanwhile, several students have filed petitions in various high courts. These petitions challenge the final answer key of specific questions, as well as the compensatory time provided to candidates at certain centers. In one case, a petition before the Calcutta High Court contested the award of 718 or 719 marks to certain candidates in NEET UG 2024. Furthermore, a writ petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by another NEET UG candidate. The court has issued notices to the respondents and scheduled the matter for hearing on July 8.