Top Marks Trouble
NEET UG 2024 under the scanner.
News
Students demanding cancellation of NEET UG 2024 results. (Source: Hindustan Times)
Hassya Pawar
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), one of India's most competitive examinations, that determines admission to undergraduate medical programs across the country is once again a centre of controversy; that has raised questions about the integrity of the conduct of the examination and the future of a million students.
In early 2024, reports began to surface about irregularities in the NEET exam. Students and parents started noticing discrepancies, including unusual answer patterns, allegations of leaked question papers, and reports of proxy candidates.
However, the recent scandal was brought to light after the NEET 2024 results were announced on 4th June. Here, 67 candidates scored perfect 720 out of 720, while the other two got 719 and 718 marks which are said to be “impossible” to achieve; raising concerns regarding the evaluation process. Since 2023, the number of students who scored more than 700 marks has drastically increased from 304 to 2,100.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts this exam has defended itself saying that “Grace marks have been given to over 1,500 students in 6 centres due to lack of time”.
Approximately 2.4 million candidates have appeared for this examination across 4,750 centres. Post this controversy, many have filed petitions against the NEET 2024 results for which the Education Ministry has formed a 4 member panel to probe the matter.
What are the allegations against NEET-UG?
One of the first allegations about the NEET exams was the claims of a paper leak. Many students took to their social media handles to express their concerns about the alleged paper leak, which helped a few students get a perfect score.
The cases of malpractice in Bihar and Gujarat were also crucial in this controversy. In Gujarat, police arrested a physics teacher, who was also an exam centre official, and two others for allegedly helping candidates solve the question paper in exchange for Rs 10 lakh. Similar arrests were made in Bihar, where the police detained 13 people, including examinees and their family members, for involvement in a question paper leak racket. The Bihar police's economic offenses unit is currently investigating the matter.
Another fuel to this fire was the alleged discrepancies between the OMR sheets and the results. Many students claimed that their scores on the OMR sheet were significantly higher than the results.
About the score manipulation allegations
One of the most serious allegations against the NEET-UG is score manipulation. Among the top scorers who scored 720 on 720, 8 were from the same centre in Haryana. The two who scored 718 and 719 have raised many eyebrows since these scores are statistically impossible to achieve as each question carries 4 marks and there is one negative mark for wrong attempts. The NTA is yet to give a proper clarification about this. However, it has categorized these scores under “Grace marks” given to candidates due to limited time.
What is the NTA’s stance?
The NTA quickly refuted the allegations and stated that these claims were “completely baseless and without any grounds”. It also said that strict protocols and procedures were followed to ensure “the integrity of the exam” and conduct it in a “fair and transparent manner”. It also stated about the strict security measures taken to prevent cheating.
On issues of technical glitches, the NTA said that some students faced issues but they were isolated incidents. It also ensured that the affected candidates would be given a fair chance and their scores would be reviewed if necessary.
It also said that the increase in the number of high scorers was due to a large candidate pool and changes in the NCERT textbooks. It also emphasized on the “Grace marks'' that resulted in odd scores. However, the method used to grant these marks is yet to be clarified.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who heard the matter, said that the sanctity of the exam seems to have been affected amid allegations of inflation of marks leading to 67 candidates sharing first rank. However, the SC has refused to put a hold on the counseling process for those who have cleared the exam.
The NEET 2024 exam scam is a serious blot on India's education system, highlighting vulnerabilities that must be addressed urgently. The scandal has undoubtedly shaken the confidence of students and parents and has also underscored the need for robust examination security protocols and transparent processes to ensure fairness.
