The National Testing Agency (NTA) which is currently under fire over its conduct of the NEET examinations has told the Education Mininstry that candidates that are under scrutiny from Patna and Godhra, for having recieved undue advantage due to alleged irregularities, have indeed received no such unusual benefit as per the analysis of their marks.
According to Media sources, eight out of the 13 candidates from Patna, who are under investigation by the Bihar Police for alleged involvement in a paper leak, scored below 500 marks out of 720. Additionally, nearly 98% of the students from two exam centers in Godhra, which are also being investigated for potential OMR sheet tampering, scored less than 500 marks.
In order to secure an government medical college seat under the all-India examination a score of at least 650 or above is required out of 720, which is a basic norm.
The NTA’s report on the allegations about this year’s NEET-UG exam was submitted to the Ministry this week. This analysis will be taken into account by the Union government as it prepares its response for the Supreme Court, which is set to hear several petitions about the medical entrance test on July 8.
Sources revealed that among the 13 candidates from Patna, four belong to the general category, eight to the OBC category, and one candidate’s details do not match the NTA’s records as provided by the Bihar Police.
Out of these 12 candidates (five women and seven men), only four scored more than 500 marks and achieved over the 90th percentile. The highest-scoring student among them obtained 609 marks, ranking just under 71,000. The Bihar Police have arrested four of the 13 candidates. At the two branches of Jay Jalaram School in Godhra, a total of 2,514 candidates took the test, and only slightly more than 2% (58 students) scored above 500 marks.
These two centers are under investigation for allegedly being involved in a scheme between a coaching institute and exam center staff. Among the 58 high-scoring students, eight have achieved more than 640 marks. It is alleged that some students received assistance in filling out the correct answers on their OMR sheets.
Additionally, the NTA has analyzed the results of all students who took the exam at 12 centers suspected by the Bihar Police to have been affected by the alleged paper leak.
The NEET-UG results, announced on June 4, drew immediate attention when 67 candidates achieved a perfect score of 720/720, and several others scored 718 or 719. Some claimed these scores were unrealistic given the exam’s format. The NTA explained that these high scores were due to a combination of factors: a relatively easier paper, awarding additional marks to students who lost time during the exam because of errors and delays by NTA staff and invigilators, and an incorrect question.
The NTA has decided to withdraw the grace marks initially awarded to 1,563 candidates who were compensated for lost time and will conduct a retest for them. Meanwhile, the government continues to deny allegations of a paper leak and irregularities in Bihar and Godhra. However, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured reporters that if any of these allegations are proven true, the responsible parties will face consequences.
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