New Delhi: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2024 results have been surrounded by various controversies of paper leak, inflated marks and other anomalies. A total of 67 candidates have secured AIR rank 1 this year. About eight students from one centre have got the same marks. Several students and parents have approached the courts challenging the alleged unfair advantage given to some students over others and other irregularities. Explained: What is the controversy over NEET UG 2024 results
Plea in apex court
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court urging re-evaluation of the medical entrance exam. The petition was filed by Shivangi Mishra and others, who said that the alleged paper leak of NEET was violative of Article 14 (right to equality) under the Constitution as it gave an unfair advantage to some students over others.
Awarding marks for two correct options is unfair
The Delhi High Court had earlier sought the response of the National Testing Agency (NTA) on a plea filed by a NEET-UG candidate who complained about a question having two correct answers in the answer key. The plea had said that those who did not attempt the question should also be awarded the same marks as those who attempted any one of the two correct answers. The plea further said that the authorities compromised fairness by awarding marks to two correct options even though the instructions clearly indicated that only one option was correct.
What is the NCERT book controversy? Around 44 top scorers in the NEET UG 2024 exam gave the wrong answer to a basic physics question based on an old NCERT book. Over 13,000 students disputed the wrong answer after the answer key was released on May 29, 2024. Candidates raised a controversy against the provisional answer key, saying that students who did not answer the question for fear of negative marking are at a disadvantage compared to others. The NTA awarded marks to all students who answered both the options and directed that students should not be penalized for using NCERT textbooks for NEET preparation. These students got extra marks due to the old version of NCERT Class 12 textbooks. Eight toppers from a single centre
A complaint was lodged with the Additional Deputy Commissioner Jind to investigate alleged anomalies in the NEET exam. The complaint was lodged by parents of some children who protested against eight toppers from a single centre in Jhajjar, Haryana.
Will NEET be held again? Meanwhile, a committee has been formed to analyze the issue of irregularities in the medical entrance exam. The Ministry of Education has formed a grievance redressal committee to investigate whether or not to conduct the exam for the second time. Around 23 lakh students appeared in the exam. Of these, only 1,600 candidates from six centres have been affected by the controversy.
