NEET row: NTA to cancel scorecards, re-exam of students who were awarded grace marks

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that a decision has been taken to cancel the score-cards of 1563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates who were given grace marks. The Centre said that these 1,563 students will be given an option to take a re-test.

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to cancel the scorecards of 1,563 NEET-UG 2024 candidates who were given grace marks. This decision comes in response to allegations of unfair means during the examination process.

The Centre informed the court on Thursday that these 1,563 students will have the opportunity to retake the exam. This action is intended to guarantee the integrity and fairness of the examination procedure.

The Centre also detailed the steps taken to address the issue. A committee meeting was held on June 10th, 11th, and 12th to investigate the allegations.  The scorecards of the impacted candidates will be cancelled in accordance with the committee's recommendations, and these students will be scheduled for a reexamination.

Among the three petitions, one has also been filed by chief executive of EdTech firm ‘Physics Wallah’, pertaining to the controversy-ridden NEET-UG, 2024 for admission to MBBS, BDS and others courses. Alakh Pandey, the chief executive of the EdTech firm, has moved the top court against alleged random award of grace marks by the National Testing Agency (NTA)to over 1,500 candidates.

The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answer sheets got completed earlier.

As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in NTA's history, with six from a centre in Haryana's Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. On June 10, a large number of students demonstrated in Delhi to demand an investigation into purported anomalies. Grace marks are said to have played a part in 67 candidates sharing the top spot.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the NEET-UG test for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other relevant programmes at public and private universities throughout the nation.