The National Eligibility Entrance Test, or NEET, is a nationwide medical entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency, an autonomous body under India’s Department of Higher Education.
NEET UG is the undergraduate exam for admission to medical courses such as Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Dental Surgery, and NEET PG is the postgraduate test for Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery courses.
The NEET UG results, declared on June 4 – the same day as India’s election results – saw an unprecedented 67 students achieve All India Rank One, unlike the previous norm of only two to three students scoring a perfect 720 marks in the examination.
Though the country’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attributed the phenomenon to syllabus cuts and more registered candidates, 2.4 million students in 2024 compared to two million in 2023, questions were raised after six of those with the perfect score were found to be from the same exam centre in the North Indian state of Haryana.
Moreover, a total of 44 students among the perfect scorers saw their marks increase from 715 to 720 as the Chemistry exam had two correct options for a question based on NCERT books, which are used as learning material by millions of school, college, and undergraduate students across India.
A total of 1,563 students have been given ‘grace marks’ – awarded as compensation for lost time – inflating many of their scores with some receiving 650-680 marks, which could lead to an even more competitive environment for an estimated 110,000 medical education seats across India.
Though the Indian government has maintained that the ‘integrity of NEET examinations has not been compromised’, it informed India’s apex court about its decision to cancel the scorecards of thousands of students, who received ‘grace marks’.
With the Supreme Court urging the Centre to provide those students with an option to take the retest, the NEET UG 2024 exam will be reorganised for thousands of candidates. Results for which will be announced on June 30 before the annual counselling process, which allocates seats for students based on their choices and ranks, starts on July 6.
But some students aren’t supportive of the decision.
“Many of us were provided with the wrong question papers at the start of the exam and chose one of the two correct options in the Physics and Chemistry papers which led to the grace marks. To give the retest again has led to a lot of pressure as, based on its new structure, we might not be able to score high marks,” said Aarav Kumar, who scored 715/720 due to the extra marks awarded to him.
Grace marks aren’t the only concern, as reports of paper leaks, a common occurrence in India in the past few years due to instances of high-level corruption and bribery, have also found their way in the NEET UG controversy.
In the state of Bihar, the Economic Offences Unit arrested 13 people, including four candidates, on Monday for their involvement in an alleged paper leak, while the Gujarat police arrested 5 individuals for demanding INR 5 lakhs (£4,710) in exchange for answers being filled up by teachers at an exam centre.
In light of pleas alleging leaks and malpractices, the SC issued notices to NTA and the central government seeking their action in the matter.
“Even if there is 0.001 percent negligence on the part of anyone, it should be thoroughly dealt with,” said a bench of SC Justices while hearing the pleas before them.
PhysicsWallah, which has emerged as one of India’s most prominent edtech startups rivalling Byju’s, has also waded into the debate with its co-founder Alakh Pandey filing a public interest litigation demanding an investigation into the irregularities.
According to Pandey, NTA’s contrasting statements on the conduct of NEET UG 2024 make it difficult to believe them.
“If the NTA said in its own May 5 notice, when the exams were conducted, that everything happened promptly, why did they admit on June 6 that loss of time happened in some centres? That too after students raised issues,” said Pandey.
“Students have maintained that grace marks to 1563 students alone cannot lead to such inflated ranks. NTA’s answers don’t satisfy them,” he added
Pandey also suggests that SC stay the counselling process “to maintain the integrity of the admission process pending resolution of this grave matter”,something the top court has already refused to order.
Allegations of cheating and fraud have also hampered the credibility of NEET UG, as police have arrested three people in Delhi and six in Rajasthan for allegedly impersonating test candidates and writing the medical entrance on their behalf.
Students have maintained that grace marks to 1563 students alone cannot lead to such inflated ranks
Alakh Pandey, PhysicsWallah
With fresh petitions being filed seeking cancellation of NEET UG 2024, the Supreme Court is set to conduct a hearing on July 8 into the matter. The central government is expected to follow the directives of the court, even if it requires conducting a re-examination for all 2.4 million candidates.
The aftermath of the NEET UG results comes just days after PM Narendra Modi was sworn into office a third time with a diminished majority, something the Opposition INDIA bloc led by the Indian National Congress has taken advantage of.
While INC leader Rahul Gandhi, often touted as the Opposition’s PM face, questioned the Prime Minister’s silence, Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man’s Party) has indicated a broader NEET scam and organised protests in Mumbai and Delhi calling for a ‘court-monitored’ independent investigation.
“We are demanding a ban on NTA and a CBI inquiry against the irregularities, paper leaks, and corruption. If the demands are not met, our student union will gherao (a term for industrial action by labour unions and activists) the parliament on June 24,” said Varun Choudhary, President of the Congress-affiliated student wing National Students Union of India.
