RE-NEET: The Education Ministry has constituted a panel to re-assess the results of over 1,500 students who appeared for the NEET UG 2024 examinations after getting grace marks, Director-General of National Testing Agency Subodh Singh said. The committee was to have been the four-member committee chaired by a former UPSC chairman, scrutinizing the possible anomalies in the NEET-UG 2024 results. It has to review the cases and is expected to come up with its report next week.
“The panel headed by a former UPSC chairman shall submit its recommendations within a week, based on which the results of such candidates will be declared afresh,” said NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh at a press conference. He added, “No change in qualifying criteria for the examination has been done on account of awarding grace marks. The review of results for the affected candidates will not impact the admission process.” Subsequently, the committee will decide after detailed scrutiny whether to provide a retest to the more than 1,500 affected candidates or prepare a revised formula for grace marking.
Why is the NEET 2024 Result Controversial?
Here is what has, by and large, set off the NEET 2024 result controversy:
- 67 aspirants securing a full 720
- Marks being shown to the candidates as 718 or 719, whereas the rule mentioned for the NEET marking scheme does not allow them to get such marks in the results
- Ten days prior result release and on the day of the Lok Sabha Election results, mark them as allegations raised on the NEET 2024 question paper
- Multiple toppers belonging to the list of the NEET 2024 from a particular Exam Center
Alakh Pandey Sir
Alakh Pandey, the founder of Physics Wallah institute, has hinted at taking the matter to the Supreme Court. He wrote to X, “The reply is here:. @narendramodi #NEET #NEETUG It’s Time to go to SUPREME COURT OF INDIA.”
Rahul Gandhi
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG exam, saying he would be the voice of the students in Parliament and raise issues related to their future. “Narendra Modi has not even taken oath yet, and the scam in NEET exam has devastated more than 24 lakh students and their families. 6 students from the same exam center top the exam with maximum marks; many get such marks which are technically not possible, but the government is continuously denying the possibility of paper leak,” he said on Sunday, ahead of Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony.
Leading political leaders have voiced their concerns and called for the NEET UG 2024 examination results to be investigated appropriately. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has held the Modi government responsible for the mismanagement and said that “BJP has played with the candidate’s future by allowing such breaches in the examination integrity.” He demanded that there be a high-level investigation under the vigil of the Supreme Court to see that justice be delivered to these students.
Similarly, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that “an inquiry has to be started immediately for this controversy gambles the future of lakhs of candidates.” He added that there are reports of a suppressed paper leak, and allegations of exaggerated marks have come to light, even as a record of 67 candidates has come out as toppers of the exam this time, with six from the same center, further raising suspicions.
These are the complaints similarly voiced by another leader of the Congress party, Randeep Surjewala, who said that the anomalies were likely to put around 24 lakh children at risk in their prospects. He urged that the government must ensure accountability about fresh tests to be conducted and a large-scale irregularity in NEET UG results. Another angry flak in support of this came from none other than Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also a Congress leader who heavily weighed upon the Modi government over such anomalies in the Doppler exam. She said that she had demanded an investigation to redress the genuine grievance of students, as many aspirants had claimed inflated marks. This has resulted in an unnatural clustering of top ranks, including six candidates from the same center.
Kerala Congress Committee
In a tweet by the Kerala Congress Committee, a student’s mark sheet was uploaded with the update that “A child who got 705/720 marks and a rank of 1321 in NEET 2024. His marks card for 12th standard says that the child failed in Physics, saying that he scored 21%, Chemistry says that he scored 31%, and Biology, it said he passed with 39% marks. He was not faulting the child for this rank.” This system, @NTA_Exams, has ruined the lives of lakhs of aspiring children studying for years with sacrifices and working hard to achieve that dream of becoming a doctor and serving the country. Heads must roll for this criminal manipulation, and the price must be exacted on those criminals who force our children to commit suicide!”
MK Stalin
Tamil Nadu CM, MK Stalin, posted on X on Sunday that his party had become the first political party to foresee the dangers of NEET and undertook a successful campaign on a large scale against NEET. “After coming to power, we formed a High-Level Committee headed by Justice A.K. Rajan to study the impact of the NEET-based admission process. The committee’s report was published and circulated to various State Governments after careful analysis of detailed data and inputs received from students, parents, and members of the general public trying to expose the anti-poor, anti-social justice nature of the NEET. A Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking exemption of this state itself from the entrance examination is pending for the Assent of the President of India.”
Indian Medical Association
The Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network has demanded a CBI investigation against NEET 2024 result anomalies and a re-test. This is according to Dr. Indranil Deshmukh, National Convener of the IMA junior doctors’ network, who clarified that there is no way students could score 718-719 marks as per the pattern of the question paper with negative marking.
Maharashtra Government
Demanding immediate scrapping of NEET UG 2024 conducted last month, the state government has pressed for justice to be meted out to the students from each district of its states. Charges have emerged that mark inflation caused such an aversion to numbers for the top-ranking candidates, including six local ones from a single examination center in Haryana. Hasan Mushrif, Minister of Medical Education in Maharashtra, joined the chorus amidst a denial from the NTA that prejudicially placed students from Maharashtra at a disadvantage in the exam results and have been barred from applying for MBBS in the State. It has even led the government to consider legal action on the grounds of grave dissatisfaction with the unfair situation displayed, demanding a proper solution for all ends.
NTA Director
The Director of NTA announced that “If the committee feels there should be a re-examination, we will organize it,” as a form of one of the big positives akin to the press conversation. This is prescribing actions aligned towards grievances posed by students and other stakeholders about results for NEET UG 2024. A decision shall be taken, considering the recommendation of the newly formed grievances redressal committee that will ensure the process is fair and transparent.
Conclusion
The NEET UG 2024 results have sparked widespread controversy, with multiple political leaders, educational institutions, and student bodies voicing concerns over alleged irregularities. The formation of a high-level committee to reassess the results, alongside calls for a CBI investigation and potential retest, underscores the gravity of the situation. Prominent figures like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and MK Stalin have demanded accountability and transparency, emphasizing the impact on the futures of millions of students. As the National Testing Agency addresses these issues, the education system’s integrity and the affected students’ futures remain in the balance, awaiting a fair and just resolution.
FAQs
1. What triggered the controversy around NEET UG 2024 results?
Answer: The controversy arose due to allegations of mark inflation, with 67 candidates scoring perfect 720 marks and unusual clusters of top ranks, including six candidates from the same exam center. Additionally, the early release of results and reported discrepancies in the marking scheme contributed to the uproar.
2. Who are the key figures demanding an investigation into the NEET UG 2024 results?
Answer: Key figures demanding an investigation include Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Surjewala, and Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin. The Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network has also called for a CBI investigation.
3. What actions has the government taken in response to the NEET UG 2024 controversy?
Answer: The Education Ministry has formed a four-member panel, chaired by a former UPSC chairman, to reassess the results of over 1,500 students who received grace marks. The committee is expected to submit its findings within a week, and the NTA has indicated a willingness to organize a re-examination if recommended.
5. How has the Indian Medical Association responded to the NEET UG 2024 results?
Answer: The Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network has demanded a CBI investigation into the result irregularities and called for a retest, stating that the scores of 718-719 marks are impossible under the negative marking system used in the exam.