NEW DELHI: Students alleged that the ranks and scores have increased nationwide due to the paper leak. They said that the exam should be conducted again, and a fair investigation should also take place.
The national capital is witnessing significant protests over the NEET 2024 results. Medical students staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar on June 13, expressing their discontent with the National Testing Agency (NTA). They demanded a CBI probe into the NEET UG examination result controversy, raising concerns about alleged irregularities. The Delhi High Court has refused to stay counseling and has sought a reply from the NTA, with the matter set for hearing on July 5. Amidst these developments, the Center informed the Supreme Court that grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates would be scrapped.
HRD Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote on X that, “NTA is committed to taking appropriate action following the Honorable Supreme Court’s directions in the NEET exam case”. As per the Supreme Court’s instructions, the exam will be re-conducted for 1,563 students. No concrete evidence of any malpractice, corruption, or paper leak in the NEET exam has surfaced so far. All relevant facts are before the Supreme Court and are under consideration.”
Pradhan first wrote, “I would like to remind Congress that the central government has passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act this year.”
This includes several stringent provisions to prevent paper leaks and ensure cheat-free exams. Congress should not be under the illusion that any nexus found will not be acted upon. The provisions of this Act will be implemented very meticulously.
A candidate, who appeared for the NEET UG exam, Ananya, said, “I scored 670 marks, and I want the seat I deserve. We all seek a fair investigation into the paper leak issue, as we have worked hard for the exam.”
Speaking about the Supreme Court’s decision on grace marks, Ananya added, “I have no issue with the Supreme Court’s decision on grace marks, but no one is addressing the paper leak issue, which is the major concern of each student here.”
Another student, Rohan Sharma, said, “No one is talking about the paper leak. If an FIR has been lodged in Bihar regarding the NEET paper leakage, it must be investigated.” He further added that ranks may increase by two to three thousand, but they should not jump up to 20 to 25 thousand. “Ranks and scores have increased nationwide due to the paper leak, and now there’s talk of grace marks. We believe the exam should be conducted again, and a fair investigation should also take place,” he said.
While NTA has also released an explainer regarding the controversy surrounding the NEET exam, highlighting the issue of higher cut-off marks, According to it, the reduction in the syllabus by 15% allowed students to complete their studies earlier, giving them more time for thorough revision, which led to better performance and higher scores. The increase in the number of NEET aspirants, from 20.3 lakh in 2023 to 23.3 lakh in 2024, heightened competition and raised the cut-off. Additionally, NEET’s policy of unlimited attempts enables students to improve their scores over multiple attempts, resulting in higher overall scores.
Several PILs have been fielded by coaching institutes. NTA’s say in this regard is that with a reduced syllabus and easier question papers, coaching institutes are the real losers. These businesses depend on the complexity of the syllabus to attract students, and a simplified curriculum reduces the demand for extensive coaching, impacting their profits. Although these institutes claim to prioritize student success, their primary focus is often on maximizing profits. If the NTA sets a difficult question paper, coaching institutes benefit the most, while students from rural backgrounds and those unable to afford coaching are at a disadvantage. Coaching institutions whose students underperformed in the NEET (UG) 2024 exam are vocal about the issue, while others remain silent.