How Many NEET 2024 Candidates Received Grace Marks? What Were the Rules? RTI Seeks Answer from NTA
New Delhi: Amid the social media uproar questioning the NEET UG 2024 results and the National Testing Agency's clarification that candidates were awarded grace marks, a Right to Information (RTI) application has been filed in this regard seeking further clarity from NTA.
Filing the RTI today, activist Dr. Vivek Pandey sought to know the details of the total number of students who received grace marks from NTA, and the details of the rules and criteria applied to allocate grace marks to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 aspirants.
Further, he also sought to know from NTA about the details of the students who applied for grace marks in the NEET 2024 exam, along with the details of the case filed against NTA demanding grace marks.
NTA released the NEET scorecard on Tuesday i.e. on June 4, 2024. A record 24.06 lakh candidates had registered for NEET this year. The passing percentage is almost the same as last year at 56.2 percent.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the results of NEET-UG 2024 shocked many as altogether 67 candidates secured the All India Rank 1 in the examination. Moreover, soon after the reports of a large number of students securing full marks i.e. 720 marks in the exam came to light, the allegations of the NEET paper leak scam started circulating on the social media platforms.
Several X (formerly Twitter) users including doctors and health activists also referred to the NEET marking pattern and questioned how some candidates secured 718 or 719 marks in the exam.
According to the NEET marking scheme, every candidate is awarded 4 marks for every right answer and 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer. Therefore, after the full marks i.e. 720, the candidates can only secure 716 marks if they leave one answer unattempted. Similarly, a candidate would get 715 marks if he/she gives one wrong answer.
Some of the social media users including doctors and activists also questioned how altogether 8 students from the same centre secured 720 marks in the examination.
Candidates Were Awarded Grace Marks, NTA Clarifies:
Amid all these allegations, NTA, the authority in charge of conducting the NEET exam has clarifed that candidates can score 718 or 719 marks this year because they were awarded grace marks.
"NTA received few representations and Court Cases from the candidates of NEET (UG) 2024 raising concerns of loss of time during the conduct of the examination on 05.05.2024. Such cases/representations were considered by NTA and the normalisation formula, which has been devised and adopted by the Hon'ble Apex Court, vide its Judgment dated 13.06.2018, was implemented to address the loss of time faced by the candidates of NEET (UG) 2024," NTA mentioned in its clarification issued yesterday.
"The loss of examination time was ascertained and such candidates were compensated with grace marks. So, candidate's marks can be 718 or 719 also," it further added.
RTI Filed Seeking Clarity Regarding NTA Grace Marks Policy:
However, several people including doctors and health activists have expressed their doubts regarding the National Testing Agency (NTA) clarification. They have demanded clarity regarding the process through which grace marks were awarded to the candidates.
Raising the issue, activist Dr. Vivek Pandey has now filed an RTI application before the NTA. He mentioned in his application, filed under the provisions of RTI Act 2005, "Excellence in Assessment NTA received few representations and Court Cases from the candidates of NEET UG 2024 raising concerns of loss of time during the conduct of the examination on 05.05.2024 . Such cases representations were considered by NTA and the normalisation formula , which has been devised and adopted by the Honble Apex Court , vide its Judgment dated 13.06.2018 , was implemented to address the loss of time faced by the candidates of NEET (UG 2024 . The loss of examination time was ascertained and such candidates were compensated with grace marks . So , candidates marks can be 718 or 719 also."
He sought the following details from NTA, the authority in charge of conducting NEET UG examination:
1. The details of total number of students got grace marks in neet 2024
2. The details of criteria and rules applied to allocated grace marks to neet 2024 aspirants.
3. Details of students applied for grace marks in neet 2024 exam. ( Also provide the cases details that is filed against NTA demanding grace marks)
Commenting on the matter, Dr. Pandey told Medical Dialogues, "In the NEET exam, there is a fluctuation of more than 1000 ranks on just one mark. There hasn't been any mention of normalization or grace marks. It's a matter of investigation on what basis students have been given grace without rules. Secondly, the emergence of so many toppers from one center raises questions about the fairness of the exam. We have never seen so many toppers coming from one center before."
"The government should conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. If the exam paper leak is true, it should be canceled," he further added.
Plea Before Supreme Court:
Meanwhile, a new plea has been filed before the Supreme Court by a group of candidates who sought a fresh NEET-UG 2024 exam. NTA has also been made a party in the plea before the Supreme Court. Filed by Shivangi Mishra and others, the pleas raised the issue of paper leak and the sanctity of the test while seeking a direction for conducting fresh examination.
It has been alleged in the plea that the NEET-UG test held on May 5 was riddled with malpractices as various instances of paper leaks came to the knowledge of the petitioners.
The alleged paper leak of NEET was violative of Article 14 (right to equality) under the Constitution as it gave an undue advantage to some candidates over others who chose to attempt the examination in a fair manner. The plea, which was filed on June 1 through lawyer Usha Nandini V, may be listed before a vacation bench this week.
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