Amid growing protests and questions over NEET results, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has come out with a new clarification. NTA in a recent notification said that 1563 students in the NEET UG 2024 examination were given grace marks as compensation for wasting time in the examination. However, the statement nowhere mentions the formula, basis or range of Grace Marks. The NTA also said in the statement that the number of candidates appearing for NEET has increased from 20.3 lakh to 23.3 lakh, hence the number of students scoring high has also increased. NTA in its statement said that out of 67 toppers who secured 720 marks out of 720 in NEET, 50 toppers have been given the benefit of grace marks. Out of these 50 toppers, 44 toppers were given grace marks due to having two answers (different answers in old and new NCERT books) of Physics question while 6 students were given grace marks due to loss of time.
This clarification of NTA Neat This comes after an uproar from candidates, parents and coaching operators. Running a campaign on social media, they are questioning the NTA as to which students were given grace marks and on what basis what was the formula for the same, while there is no provision for grace marks in the notification.
Explaining the need to award grace marks as compensation, the NTA said a student grievance redressal committee was formed after some NEET candidates filed writ petitions in the High Courts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chhattisgarh regarding loss of time during the examination. The panel took up the complaints on the basis of factual reports and CCTV footage of the examination centers concerned to consider the concerns of “Loss of time was detected and such candidates were compensated with marks based on ability to answer and time lost as per system/formula framed by Hon’ble Supreme Court as per 2018 judgment,” NTA said. As a result, 1,563 NEET candidates were given grace marks and the revised marks of such candidates ranged from 20 to 720 marks. Two candidates scored 718 and 719 marks in the examination due to grace marks. Denying irregularities in NEET UG 2024, NTA said, ‘Analysis of CCTV footage has revealed that the integrity and transparency of the examination at these centers has not been compromised.’
44 toppers rose due to one physics question
According to an NTA statement, one question of Physics in NEET exam 2024 brought 44 candidates to rank 1. On checking 13,373 challenges on the provisional answer key of that question, the subject experts found that two options were correct in the old and new editions of NCERT book Physics and thus the answer key was revised and 44 candidates were awarded full marks.
Cleaning on result date
As to why NEET results are declared on the day of Lok Sabha election results, NTA said that the results of the examinations are declared by NTA as soon as possible after the necessary verification is completed after the answer key challenge period. NTA managed to declare the results of around 23 lakh candidates within 30 days. G major 2024 Semester-1 result declared in 11 days and Semester-2 (combined with Semester-1) result declared in 15 days. “The result of NEET UG has been released as per the procedure laid down by NTA.”
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Apart from this, NTA denied the paper leak. A few cases have been registered against copycats by the NTA and by some state police. The results of the investigation of the cases are awaited.
NTA said that the increase in NEET UG cut-off 2024 reflects the competitive nature of the exam and the high level of performance of the candidates this year. The NEET cut-off is prepared based on the overall performance of the candidates.