The NEET-UG exam, conducted on May 5 with over 24 lakh candidates participating, has sparked a controversy following the early release of the results on June 4, ten days ahead of the scheduled date.
Key Reasons for the Controversy:
- Perfect Scores: 67 students scored perfect marks of 720.
- Improbable Scores: Students scored 718 and 719 marks, which contradicts the NEET marking scheme.
- Early Results: NEET-UG results were released 10 days earlier, coinciding with the announcement of LS poll results.
- Examination Centre Irregularities: Numerous NEET-UG 2024 toppers are from the same examination centre.
- Allegations of Paper Leaks: Reports of NEET question papers being leaked.
Discrepancies in the NEET Exam:
An individual on X (formerly Twitter) highlighted these issues, stating, “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 Feb 2024 and were extended till 16th March. Everything was well and good up to that point.”
Then the NEET UG exam is conducted on 5th May 2024 wherein the same day, a case arises of paper leak.
In a centre in Rajasthan, students reported that the centre gave them the question paper with pre-marked answers then took it back.
Hindi medium students received English paper.— Sambhav Wadhawan (@iamskwadhawan) June 4, 2024
They continued, describing the NEET UG exam conducted on May 5, when a case of paper leak arose. “In a centre in Rajasthan, students reported that the centre gave them the question paper with pre-marked answers then took it back. Hindi medium students received English paper.”
The user noted that NTA reopened online registrations for two days in April due to ‘Stake Holder’s Requests’, questioning the need for this after previous extensions.
The user also questioned the early results, mentioning that eight students from the same examination centre in Haryana secured AIR 62 to 69 with similar roll numbers.
The thread continued, highlighting the unusual perfect scores of 67 students, with two others scoring 719 and 718, which contradicts the NEET marking scheme. “According to the marking scheme, a candidate gets 4 marks for a correct answer and loses one mark for a wrong one. If a question is not attempted by the candidate, then no mark is rewarded for it.”
National Testing Agency’s Response:
The National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that they applied a normalization formula to account for time lost during the exam, resulting in some candidates receiving scores of 718 or 719. They also claimed allegations of paper leaks were “completely baseless and without any ground,” adding that purported images of the question paper on social media were not related to the actual paper.
The NTA announced that the Education Ministry has set up a four-member panel to review the grace marks awarded to over 1,500 candidates. A petition filed before the Delhi High Court raised concerns about a question with two correct answers in the answer key, seeking equal marks for those who did not attempt the question.
Political Turn:
The controversy has taken a political turn, with several parties questioning the authenticity of the NEET exam. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, saying the alleged irregularities in the exam have affected over 24 lakh students. “Narendra Modi has not even taken oath yet and the scam in NEET exam has devastated more than 24 lakh students and their families,” he wrote on X.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called for an investigation into students’ complaints, highlighting reports of suicides following the results. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe, while Jairam Ramesh also drew attention to the issue.
Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif stated, “The NEET exams were probably conducted after taking money. The results are such that no student of Maharashtra will get admission for the MBBS course in government or private college in the state.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin reiterated opposition to the NEET exam, citing issues of question paper leaks and clustering of toppers at specific centres. “Trends emerging from the latest NEET results have once again vindicated our principled opposition to the exam,” Stalin wrote on X.
The Congress in Kerala demanded a comprehensive probe, with Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan noting that many students from Kerala have expressed concerns about the results. He stated, “I write to demand a comprehensive investigation into the suspicious results of the recently published NEET results for 2024,” highlighting the unusual number of perfect scores and early announcement of results.
