The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024 on Tuesday evening, June 4, 2024. However, the announcement was met with controversy as allegations of irregularities and paper leaks surfaced, particularly concerning inflated scores of several medical aspirants. Notably, a staggering 67 candidates clinched the top rank, with a surprising revelation that six of them hailed from the same examination center in Haryana.
As per the NEET UG 2024 results, approximately 67 medical aspirants secured the highest rank in the entrance exam, achieving a percentile of 99.997129. The average score among the 720 qualified candidates stands at 323.55 for the 2024 examination.
NEET UG 2024 exam: Controversy
Medical aspirants across the country have taken to social media platforms to voice their outrage, alleging irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 results. Amidst growing discontent, some candidates have called for the cancellation of the results and a demand for a re-examination. Concerns have been raised regarding the validity of scores, particularly in cases where candidates reportedly obtained 718 and 719 marks, given the exam’s marking scheme which follows the +4 -1 system.
Experts predict that the inflation of marks in the NEET UG 2024 results will pose challenges for aspiring medical students aiming to secure admission to medical schools this year.
One user on Reddit said, “Mathematically impossible scores in NEET 2024.”
An aspirant took to X (Twitter) and said, “67 students scoring 720 out of 720 marks in the results released after the NEET exam paper leak raise suspicion. This is playing with the future of lakhs of candidates in the country, due to which there is anger among the students. The government should conduct a high-level investigation.”
“NTA awarded grace marks according to the court order, but the students argue this sudden decision is unjust as the agency has not mentioned any methodology to award these ‘grace marks’,” another X user, Nitish Rajput, said.
Some students have turned to online platforms to demand the results be cancelled and re-examined.
“Calls for transparency in the process have only grown louder. The controversy for the NTA is brewing as lakhs of students demand re-examination, citing lack of clarity in NTA’s explanations, and have even pushed for the Supreme Court’s intervention. Grace marks given for lost exam time have raised concerns of fairness,” he added.
Another student posted in Hindi: “Rank toh marks ki vajah se gandi hai but reneet ko survive karna mentally toh bohot mushkil hai. 2-3 mahine fir vohi nlm and salt analysis mujhse nahi ho paayega . (Rank is not good because of the marks obtained, but to face a re-examination of NEET 2024 would be very difficult. I cannot go through the same difficulty for 2-3 months again for re-examination.)”
Not only aspiring candidates but also Physics Wallah’s Alakh Alakh Pandey raised questions regarding the results. Watch video.
Meanwhile, senior Congress member Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has demanded action against alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance exams. Gandhi called for an investigation into reported irregularities and expressed concern over students’ complaints.
NTA issues clarification over ‘grace marks’ & cut-offs
“Initially, the NEET exam paper leak surfaced, and now students are claiming potential irregularities in its results. Significant concerns arise over six students from the same coaching center achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720, alongside various anomalies coming to the forefront. Meanwhile, reports indicate instances of tragic suicides among students nationwide following the results announcement. Gandhi Vadra expressed deep sadness and shock over these distressing developments,” wrote on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
Denying any irregularities in the exam, the NTA said changes made in the NCERT textbooks and grace marks for losing time at the examination centres were some of the reasons behind the students scoring higher marks.
“The normalisation formula, which has been devised and adopted by Supreme Court, vide its Judgment dated 13.06.2018, was implemented to address the loss of time faced by the candidates of NEET (UG) 2024,” the NTA said.
“The loss of examination time was ascertained, and such candidates were compensated with grace marks. So, their marks can be 718 or 719 also,” it added.