The NEET-UG exam, conducted on May 5 with over 24 lakh participants, has recently ignited a controversy following the release of its results.

According to the marking scheme, candidates receive 4 marks for a correct answer and lose one mark for a wrong one, with no marks awarded for unattempted questions.

However, discrepancies arose when two candidates scored 719 and 718 marks, securing AIR 68 and 69, respectively, also, although the results were scheduled for release on June 14, they were unexpectedly released 10 days earlier on June 4.

So what are the key factors that have contributed to the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG results?

1. 67 students achieved perfect scores of 720.
2. Students scoring 718 and 719 marks, which contradicts the NEET marking scheme.
3. NEET-UG results were released 10 days earlier on June 4, coinciding with the LS poll results announcement.
4. Numerous NEET-UG 2024 toppers came from the same examination center.
5. Allegations of NEET question paper leaks have surfaced, with an individual on X (formerly Twitter) explaining the nature of the alleged ‘scam,’ which will be detailed later.

Students Depressed, Worried Parents

The ongoing NEET-UG 2024 result controversy has resulted in parents in Haryana’s Jind district experiencing trauma and staying with their children around the clock.

Students are reportedly depressed due to the results, and parents feel compelled to protect them continuously, fearing mishaps.

They allege that a scam occurred during the exam, pointing to several discrepancies in the process, such as an unprecedented number of students—67 in total—achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720.

Among those with perfect scores, six have sequential seat numbers and are from Haryana, suggesting they might have been from the same center.

Additionally, scorecards of students scoring 718 and 719 are circulating on social media, with claims that these scores are impossible to achieve given the NEET marking scheme, where each question carries four marks, and one mark is deducted for each incorrect answer.

Therefore, high cutoffs have discouraged many candidates who were aspiring to join government medical colleges this year.

Many point out that, instead of raising marks, NTA should have provided extra time for students who faced disruptions, which would have been more fair. This was not an online exam where extra time is difficult to allocate, but an offline one where such accommodations were possible.

Opposition’s Spots It’s Target

The examination results scandal has already stirred the opposition Congress Party.

Kumari Selja, the newly elected MP from Sirsa Lok Sabha seat of Congress India Alliance, stated that under BJP rule, paper leaks, fraud, and corruption have become integral parts of exams.

She asserted that the NEET exam results revealed another failure of the BJP government, accusing the Modi government of deceiving the youth and playing with their futures- the fact that seven candidates from the same center scored 720 out of 720 points raises serious questions about the integrity of the exam results.

Therefore, they have demanded the formation of a high-level investigation committee under the supervision of the Supreme Court to conduct a fair investigation into this matter and ensure that meritorious and talented youths receive justice.

At the same time, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the NEET-UG medical entrance controversy, stating that the alleged irregularities in the examinations have devastated more than 24 lakh students.

Gandhi assured students across the country that he would be their voice in parliament, vigorously raising issues related to their future.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for an investigation to address students’ legitimate complaints, highlighting that first the NEET exam paper was leaked, and now students allege there has been a scam in its results.

She pointed out serious concerns, such as six students from the same center achieving perfect scores of 720 out of 720, along with various irregularities.

Gandhi mentioned reports of students committing suicide after the results were announced, questioning why the government is ignoring the voices of lakhs of students. She emphasized that students deserve answers to their legitimate questions regarding the alleged rigging in the NEET exam results.

Similarly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Minister Hassan Mushfiq, and the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly, VD Satheesan, voiced their concerns.

Physics Wallah’s Alakh Pandey Knocks on SC’s Door

However, the NEET examination scandal is not only a concern for opposition parties.

Alakh Pandey, CEO of the educational platform Physics Wallah, has announced his decision to approach the Supreme Court regarding the NEET-UG 2024 results controversy.

In a recent video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Pandey expressed his deep concerns about the irregularities reported in the NEET-UG exam results, which have left lakhs of students anxious and distressed.

Pandey highlighted the confusion and distress among NEET aspirants, questioning the anomalies in the results. He stated,

“After the result of NEET, lakhs of children are worried about why such strange things are happening with the results this time. We have asked NTA for many answers, but we are not getting the answers we need.”

How It May Have Happened?

An individual on X (formerly Twitter) has detailed how the discrepancies in the NEET exam occurred, claiming,

“NEET 2024 exam has been a scam. I will try to explain everything in the form of a thread. Online registrations for NEET UG 2024 started on 9th February 2024 and were extended till 16th March. Everything was well and good up to this point.”

The individual continued, explaining the reopening of the online registrations for two days, stating,

“All of a sudden, on April 9th, NTA decided to reopen the online registrations for two days from April 9 to 10 due to ‘stakeholders’ requests.’ Why would you reopen the registrations when you have already done it twice and that too a whole month later?”

He further explained that the NEET-UG exam was held on May 5th, and on the same day, there were allegations about the question paper being leaked adding,

“In a center in Rajasthan, students reported that the center gave them the question paper with pre-marked answers, then took it back while Hindi medium students received the English paper.”

Going further into the details, the X user wrote in another thread, “NTA clarified immediately on the same day that the exam was re-conducted for 120 students.”

However, in the next thread, the individual questioned how and why the exam results were declared about 10 days in advance, mentioning that eight students from the same examination centre in Haryana, whose codes ranged from AIR 62 to 69, had largely similar roll numbers.

The individual then highlighted the unusual fact that 67 students in a row on the list secured a perfect 720 score. However, following this, two candidates scored 719 and 718 marks with AIR 68 and 69 respectively, which is not mathematically possible according to the marking scheme of the medical exam.

Now that we have understood what has happened here, let us see what the National Testing Agency (NTA) said about NEET-UG Exam

The NTA responded to the matter by stating that they applied a normalization formula to account for the time lost during the exam, resulting in some candidates receiving scores of 718 or 719.

Regarding the earlier allegations of the NEET paper leak, the NTA clarified and claimed these allegations to be completely baseless and without any foundation.

Asserting that every question paper has been accounted for, the NTA said that the purported images of the question paper circulating on social media have no relation to the actual paper.

They emphasized that NTA’s security protocols and Standard Operating Procedures confirmed that the social media posts suggesting any paper leak were entirely unfounded and groundless.

The NTA added that there was one incident at a center in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, where some students forcibly took away the question papers before the exams ended, and a picture of this paper is being linked to the alleged incident of a paper leak. The NTA termed this linkage as mischievous and preposterous.

The NTA further announced on June 8th that the Education Ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to over 1500 candidates in the NEET-UG exam.

This decision came after a petition was filed before the Delhi High Court by a NEET-UG candidate, raising a grievance regarding a question in the answer key that had two correct answers.

A vacation bench of Justice DK Sharma has asked the NTA to seek instructions on the petition, which argues that equal marks should be awarded to those who did not attempt the question, just as has been done for those who attempted either of the two correct answers.

Now that we have understood what may have happened, these are the questions that need answering –

1. Was there any tampering with the NEET-UG exam results?
2. Were there any confirmed incidents of the NEET-UG exam paper being leaked?
3. Were certain students unfairly favoured or given an advantage in the NEET-UG exam results?
4. What specific steps is the NTA taking to investigate and address these allegations?
5. How will the review of grace marks impact the overall results and rankings?
6. What measures are in place to ensure the integrity and transparency of the NEET-UG examination process in the future?
7. How does the NTA plan to address the grievances raised by students and parents regarding the exam results?

The Last Bit, needless to say, the NEET examination, is crucial for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical and dental courses in India, serving as a key gateway to their future careers in medicine.

The recent irregularities that have emerged, including allegations of paper leaks, tampering with results, and favoritism, have not only raised serious concerns but also jeopardized the trust and hopes of millions of students.

Hence, if these issues are not addressed transparently and effectively, it will not only dash the aspirations of those affected but also deter many from considering NEET as a viable and fair path to their medical careers in the future.

It is of utmost importance that faith is restored in the examination process to ensure deserving students can pursue their dreams without the shadow of doubt and uncertainty.