New Delhi: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that the decision to give grace marks to 1,563 candidates of NEET-UG 2024 by the National Testing Agency (NTA) has been cancelled.
These candidates will be informed of their actual scores (without the grace marks) and will be given the option to appear for a re-test on June 23 with results and counselling expected by June 30.
Counsel for the Centre told the vacation bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, that the NTA panel found awarding compensatory marks to 1,563 students due to loss of time created a “skewed situation”, as these marks were limited to unattempted questions.
After reviewing the situation, the committee recommended cancelling the scorecards of these students and notifying them of their actual marks without the grace marks. Following these submissions, the court said in its order, “It has been suggested that the score-cards of the affected 1,563 candidates issued on June 4, 2024 will stand cancelled and withdrawn. These students will be informed of their actual scores. They will be given an option to appear for a re-examination. Results of the students who do not wish to appear for the re-examination will be based on their exam held on May 5.”
The two-judge bench of the Supreme Court was hearing petitions, including one from the CEO of education technology firm Physics Wallah, regarding alleged irregularities in NEET-UG 2024.
During the hearing, the top court reiterated that it will not halt the NEET-UG 2024 counselling process. “Counselling will proceed as planned,” the court said, noting that any disruption to the exam process would have broader implications.
“Today, NTA accepted in front of the Supreme Court that the grace marks given to the students were wrong..” said petitioner and Physics Wallah CEO Alakh Pandey
The May 5 exam, conducted by NTA across 4,750 centres for nearly 24 lakh students, has been plagued by accusations of question paper leaks and the awarding of questionable grace marks. These allegations have sparked protests and legal challenges in seven high courts and the Supreme Court.
Additionally, an unprecedented 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720, with six hailing from a single centre in Faridabad, Haryana, fuelling suspicions of cheating. Scores of students in Delhi protested on June 10 demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities. Some claim the awarded grace marks unfairly contributed to the high number of top scorers.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, however, said that there has been no evidence of paper leak in NEET-UG. “There is no corruption. In connection with the NEET examination, 24 lakh students appear in the examination. A hearing in the Supreme Court is underway today and this issue is regarding around 1,500 students. Govt is ready to give answers to the Court. This specific issue is being taken into consideration and a committee of academicians has been formed. The Govt will present this in front of the Court…NTA conducts 3 major examinations that is NEET, JEE and CUET successfully in the country…We will take action against the people responsible…,” he told ANI.
