Imagine getting a total of 720/720 scores and yet not getting admission to your dream college. Disheartening right? So, this is the case this year with the NEET exam. The results were announced on June 04, the same day when election results were held to be announced and left everyone in shock. 67 students received full marks of 720/720 compared to last year when the number of perfect scorers was just 2.
More than this, what is more shocking is the fact that students this year even scored 718, and 719. These scorecards are going viral with people alleging it as the next to impossible task. Each right answer carries 4 marks and 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
If a student attends every answer correctly, he is rewarded with a 720 score and if the student marks 1 answer incorrectly then he scores 715 out of 720. There’s a third case where a student leaves one question and answers all other questions correctly, then he’ll get a total of 716 by 720. Therefore, there’s no way to get those marks on 718 and 719 unless grace marks are provided. NTA’s (National Testing Agency) confirmed that it provided grace marks this year.
Many students are raising concerns about malpractice, paper leaks, and the last-minute introduction of ‘grace marks’ by the NTA. It is because-
NEET Result Announcement Date
The result earlier was supposed to be released on June 14 but was released on June 4. Students call it their strategy to suppress the reaction between elections.
High Number of Perfect Scorers
This year witnessed a 2000% substantial increase in toppers with 67 students scoring a perfect 720/720 compared with last year where only 2 got so despite experts calling this year’s exam as ‘Moderate’.
Sudden Implementation of Grace Marks
When concerns about scores like 718 and 719 were raised, NTA stated that these students had received grace marks as they got their papers late. This is again raising concern because it wasn’t informed earlier and happened for the first time in the history of NEET exams.
— National Testing Agency (@NTA_Exams) June 4, 2024
Skepticism of Roll No Sequencing
In the result, the roll no. of students securing rank from 62 to 69 are very close to each other. This occurrence is very rare under normal circumstances.
The Paper Leak Incidence
A day before the NEET exam, Patna police arrested 13 people who attempted to leak the paper to at least 35 NEET aspirants. Despite this incident, NTA has denied the information of any leak in the exam.
What should be done now?
Students have called for a re-examination, but the NTA has maintained that the exam’s integrity remains intact. Nonetheless, the NTA acknowledged taking action against impersonators and unfair practices, with measures including the cancellation of candidature and barring individuals from future NTA exams but that won’t be a satisfactory outcome.
As per the author, re-examination or transparent re-evaluation could be the only fair solution by NTA. Over 23 lakh students appeared for NEET this year and many of them might be attempting it for 2nd, 3rd or maybe last time. Completing your 12th standard and then taking a gap in between starting with a bachelor’s is not something our society approves and for those students taking this decision would be very challenging. To compete for a seat among 23 Lakh students requires a lot of blood, sweat and determination and NTA should keep this into consideration and reconsider their decision of re-evaluation and re-examination.
The NTA has refrained from addressing students’ concerns regarding discrepancies between their OMR sheet scores and the final results they received. Therefore, an independent committee should be established to investigate the anomalies in the results. This committee should include experts in educational assessments, cybersecurity, and legal professionals to ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation.
Moreover, NTA should provide a detailed and transparent explanation of how grace marks were allocated, including the criteria used and the number of students affected. This information should be made public to alleviate concerns and demonstrate accountability. There should be a thorough review of examination centres, particularly those with a high number of toppers, to ensure compliance with examination protocols and identify any irregularities.
The NTA should improve its communication strategy by providing timely and clear information about any changes in the examination process, such as the allocation of grace marks. This transparency can help build trust among students and stakeholders.
Addressing these issues comprehensively will require collaboration between the NTA, educational institutions, students, and other stakeholders. By implementing these solutions, the integrity of the NEET examination can be restored, and trust in the process can be rebuilt.
