NEET 2024 Results: Candidates Awarded Grace Marks for loss of exam time- clarifies NTA amid social media uproar

New Delhi: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 candidates were awarded grace marks to address the loss of time faced by the candidates, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has clarified amid the social media posts questioning the NEET merit list.

This year's NEET results came as a shock to 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 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. 

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 with 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.

Also Read: NEET-UG 2024 Score Card now LIVE, More than 80 Students Score 720 Marks!

Doctors Doubt NTA Clarification: 

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, an Educator wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "On what grounds this has been done @NTA_Exams? All the students who appeared in #NEET 2024 deserve to know this in detail."

An X handle called 'Dhruv Rathee (Parody)' addressed the NTA and wrote, "Hello @NTA_Exams 1. On what basis, you have decided to give grace marks. 2. Where is the judgement order and clarification on what mathematics was used to give grace marks. This is completely scam in the conductance of biggest exam of India."

Addressing the NTA explanation, Health Activist Dr. Dhruv Chauhan wrote, "Explanation by @NTA_Examsregarding students who obtained 718 and 719 marks in NEET UG . But where is the judgement order and clarification on what mathematics was used to give marks !"

"Clarification by NTA regarding some students who got 718 and 719 marks. A historic day with historic neet result," wrote an MBBS student. 

Demanding further clarification from NTA, another user wrote, "Hello @NTA_Exams we need more clarification plz serial wise roll no 2307010x Koi surname nahi ??? Sabhi ke marks 720/720 Majak bana diya hai tum jaiso ne education system ka"

"8 #NEET Candidates with same sequence starting with 2307010168, 333, 403, 460, 178, 037, 186, 198” ★Topped from same centre ★ Two Scored 718,719 & @NTA_Exams is saying -they got grace marks Is this justifiable?" questioned the X handle of 'Indian Doctor'.

NEET-UG is the qualifying entrance exam for admission to Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS), Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS), Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), and Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and BSc (H) Nursing courses.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NTA released the NEET scorecard yesterday 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.

NEET Paper Leak Scam:

This year's NEET UG 2024 exam was mired in controversies after a paper leak scam was revealed in Bihar. Around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of NEET-UG exam. Patna police sources had previously claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.

Then, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange of giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.

A PIL had also been filed before the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the exam results. While the Apex Court refused to grant a stay on the exam results, it agreed to consider the matter and issue notice on the PIL seeking re-conduction of the NEET UG exams in light of the alleged malpractices and paper leak scam.

Also Read: How is it possible? Doctors question NEET 2024 results as 8 candidates from same centre score 720 marks, many get 718-719 Marks