The National Testing Agency (NTA) is re-evaluating marks for the NEET-UG medical entrance exam following allegations of irregularities and inflated scores, sources within the agency said.
According to sources, the marks of six out of the 67 top scorers are likely to be impacted after the removal of "grace marks" awarded for alleged time loss during the exam. These marks, applied based on a formula, could be reduced by 60-70 points, specifically affecting students at a centre in Haryana's Jhajjar.
This comes ahead of a crucial Supreme Court hearing on July 8. Previously, the NTA informed the top court that the decision to award grace marks to 1,563 candidates had been scrapped. These students were offered a retest scheduled to be held on June 23.
The NTA has been under fire for inconsistencies in the exam. In six centres, exam papers were distributed incorrectly, prompting the agency to award grace marks to compensate for lost time. However, the NTA is taking action against these centres.
In other centres facing allegations of paper leaks, the agency claims most students scored below 500, a mark insufficient for securing a medical seat. They argue these students did not benefit from the alleged leaks in centres located in Bihar and Godhra, Gujarat, where investigations are ongoing following arrests.
Typically, a score of 650 or higher is needed to secure a seat in a government medical college, with top colleges requiring scores exceeding 690.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court once again refused to halt the NEET counselling process, which is set to begin on July 6, and has also declined to order an immediate CBI probe into the allegations. However, the court has issued notices to the Centre and the NTA, seeking their responses to the petitions filed by students and academicians.
The top court had tough words for the central government and the NTA as it heard a bunch of petitions in the last week, stating that even 0.001% negligence should not be spared. It also urged the NTA to take a firm stand and own up to any mistakes made during the exam.
The controversy has led to protests and demands for a CBI investigation, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that students were asked to leave their OMR sheets blank in some centres, which were later filled by teachers. The party claims that the central government is aware of the scam and is trying to hide it.
