A significant number of medical aspirants are calling for a re-examination of the NEET 2024 exam due to allegations of paper leaks, last-minute implementation of grace marks for time loss, and errors in NEET 2024 results. The National Testing Agency (NTA) clarified on Tuesday night that the NEET grace marks were given to students who raised concerns about time loss during the exam. However, students have expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the NTA’s statement lacks clarity.
The NTA announced the NEET UG results 2024 for over 24 lakh students on June 4 on the official website, exams.nta.ac.in, 10 days before the scheduled result date. The NEET UG result date coincided with the announcement of the general election 2024 results.
According to the NEET 2024 results, a total of 67 candidates achieved All India Rank (AIR) 1, with the highest score being 99.997129 percentile. The NEET cut-offs for all categories also increased this year.
Despite the NTA dismissing claims of NEET paper leaks, which began circulating even before the exam took place, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police department arrested 13 individuals in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case. Subsequently, the testing agency conducted a re-examination for candidates who had different question papers at the Rajasthan exam center.
Irregularities in NEET were also reported in Gujarat and Odisha. In Gujarat’s Godhra district, a criminal case was filed against three individuals, including a school teacher, who allegedly helped six NEET aspirants solve the question paper in exchange for Rs 10 lakh from each candidate. The police also seized Rs 7 lakh paid in advance to the teacher by one of the examinees.
Following the NEET result declaration, the NTA issued a statement explaining how some students obtained 718 and 719 marks out of 720. The NTA clarified that the decision to award grace marks was made to compensate for the loss of exam time, as per a court order.
“The loss of examination time was ascertained, and such candidates were compensated with grace marks. So, candidates’ marks can be 718 or 719 also,” the NTA said in its latest tweet.
Prior to the national medical entrance exam, a video surfaced on social media showing a masked individual claiming that the mastermind behind the BPSC TRE 3 exam paper leak might also leak the NEET UG questions. However, there was no official confirmation or clarification from the NTA regarding this. Later, the testing agency dismissed the claims as “baseless allegations.”
Some students pointed out that the NEET 2024 result notification initially included details on the marks obtained by candidates in each category but was later removed. They also argued that the last-minute awarding of grace marks was “unfair.”
Students are also demanding the “Apex Court order dated 13.06.2018” based on which the grace marks were awarded.
There have been doubts raised by aspirants about the NEET toppers, with claims that candidates with the same sequence of roll numbers achieved the highest marks in the NEET exam. “8 #NEET Candidates with the same sequence starting with 2307010168, 333, 403, 460, 178, 037, 186, 198 topped from the same center,” an aspirant wrote on X.