Following the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to schedule a retest for 1563 NEET UG 2024 candidates who received grace marks, there is an increasing demand for a retest for all candidates.
Investigation Reveals NEET UG Paper Leak Scam:
The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, investigating the NEET paper leak scam, revealed that brokers took between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh from each medical aspirant in exchange for giving them the NEET UG 2024 question paper before the exam.
Also read: NEET UG Re-Exam to 1563 Candidates: Centre Announces Cancellation of Grace Marks
When 67 candidates got top ranks in the NEET UG 2024 exam, the accusations reached their peak. Concerns arose regarding candidates receiving 718 or 719 points out of 720, which is not feasible under the NEET scoring scheme.
NTA’s Response and Supreme Court Involvement:
NTA responded to inquiries by explaining that some candidates received grace marks to compensate for time lost during the exam. Following this explanation, more inquiries arose, leading to NTA filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court challenging the practice of granting grace marks.
Recently, the Union Government’s counsel informed the Supreme Court that the committee recommended withdrawing the grace marks of 1,563 candidates and informing them of their original scores.
Also read: NTA Reaffirms No Paper Leak in NEET 2024 Amidst Controversy
To begin NEET UG 2024 counselling on July 6, the NTA decided that those candidates may either keep their original marks or take a re-exam on June 23. The results of the retest will be released by June 30, 2024.
Protests and Demands for Transparency:
Candidates in protest have said that NEET UG 2024 counselling should not begin until exam-related issues have been solved. The Indian Foreign Medical Students (IFMS) demanded a retest, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, strict action against involved officials, and more transparency in the examination process.
They proposed recording each student’s total number of attempted questions on the OMR sheet, with verification by the invigilator, and granting students an additional 15 minutes to complete the exam.
Voices from the Community and Political Reactions:
Doctor and social activist Bhupendra Chaurasiya stated that he would take the necessary steps following Supreme Court instructions.
However, he cautioned that if counseling proceeds before addressing all issues, students who cheated could benefit, while those who studied hard might suffer.
The All India Students’ Association stated that scrapping grace marks is not enough and called for a re-examination for all applicants.
Social media users asked the Union Education Minister to issue an apology and hold a fair re-exam. A few even demanded that the minister resign. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the United Doctors’ Front Association (UDFA) have voiced concerns over corruption, fraud, and paper leaks in NEET UG 2024.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pledged legal action against NTA members if investigations revealed their involvement in corrupting the 2024 MBBS entrance exam.
Multiple pleas demanding the scrapping of NEET UG 2024, a fresh examination, and a court-monitored probe are pending before the Supreme Court, with further hearings scheduled for July 8, 2024.
