Only 813, or 52%, of the 1,563 candidates who were initially awarded grace marks in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) before they were withdrawn last week, appeared for a retest on Sunday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced. Students who did not opt for the re-examination were allowed to retain their actual scores without the grace marks.
In specific regions, none of the two candidates from Chandigarh attended the exam, while in Chhattisgarh, 219 out of 602 participated. In Gujarat, the sole eligible candidate sat for the retest. In Haryana, 287 out of 494, and in Meghalaya, 234 out of 464, attended the retest. This data was provided by the NTA after the exam was conducted across seven centers in the five states and Union territory.
The retest for the 1,563 students took place after the Centre scrapped the grace marks, aiming to address the chaos surrounding India’s premier medical entrance examination amid allegations of paper leaks. The grace marks were originally awarded due to a loss of time during the May 5 exam.
On June 13, the Centre informed the Supreme Court of its proposal to withdraw the scorecards issued to the 1,563 students, offering them the choice to appear for a fresh exam or retain their actual scores without the grace marks. This situation has led to widespread protests across India, with thousands of students taking to the streets, and opposition parties calling for the exam to be scrapped and for a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations of paper leaks.
A senior official from the Union education ministry, preferring anonymity, stated on Sunday that incidents of malpractices are “localized” or “isolated” and that it is unfair to jeopardize the careers of thousands of candidates who cleared the exam rightfully.
Last week, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan dismissed the allegations of a paper leak, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting student interests. On Saturday, the Centre replaced NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh with IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola. Additionally, a seven-member committee was formed to thoroughly review the structure, processes, and operations of the NTA, which has faced criticism following several mishandled national examinations. This panel is set to hold its first meeting on Monday.
Meanwhile, the NTA debarred 17 students who took the medical exam on May 5 in Bihar, due to suspicions of malpractices, based on a report from the state police’s Economic Offences Unit. When asked if these students were involved in the alleged paper leak, the official mentioned that the matter is now for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe.
