1,563 Students To Appear For NEET-UG Retest On Sunday Amidst Escalating Exam Row

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Undergraduates (NEET-UG) is set to be retaken by 1,563 candidates today following a decision by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to withdraw previously awarded grace marks. This move comes in response to a loss of exam time experienced by these candidates.

The retest is being held at seven centers, six of which are new. “While all other examination centres have changed, the one in Chandigarh, where only two candidates will appear, will remain the same,” said a senior NTA official. Officers from both the NTA and the Education Ministry are present at these centers to ensure the exam is conducted smoothly.

On June 13, the NTA informed the Supreme Court that the scorecards of the 1,563 candidates, who had initially been awarded grace marks during the NEET-UG 2024 exam, would be canceled. These candidates were given the option to either retake the exam on June 23, with results to be declared before June 30, or to forgo the compensatory marks initially awarded for the lost time.

The original NEET-UG exam took place on May 5, with results declared on June 4, ten days ahead of the scheduled announcement date of June 14. Following the results, protests erupted alleging irregularities as well as paper leaks when 67 students attained perfect scores of 720.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had addressed these concerns, stating on Thursday that he would not cancel NEET, emphasizing that he could not jeopardize the careers of the numerous students who had rightfully cleared the exam due to “isolated incidents of malpractices.”

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In response to the controversy, the government had taken several significant measures. On Saturday, the Centre replaced NTA Director General Subodh Singh and established a seven-member panel led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the agency’s functioning and recommend exam reforms.

Additionally, a stringent new law has been operationalized to combat malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations. Offenders now face a maximum jail term of ten years and fines of up to ₹1 crore.

Amid the escalating controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2024, the Health Ministry has decided to postpone the NEET-Post Graduate exams, which were scheduled for today. “Taking into consideration the recent incidents of allegations regarding the integrity of certain competitive examinations, the Ministry of Health has decided to undertake a thorough assessment of the robustness of processes of NEET-PG Entrance Examination, conducted by National Board of Examination for medical students,” the Ministry stated.

The Congress party also led demonstrations across the country with regards to the issue. Additionaly, it was reported that Rahul Gandhi pledged to raise the “grace marks” issue in the parliament. He asserted that the opposition will pressure the government to ensure that the students who were affected by the irregularities in exam are given their rightful justice.