The Democracy News : The Central government informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that the grace marks previously awarded to students have been revoked in response to controversies surrounding alleged malpractices in the 'NEET-UG' exam. A total of 1,563 students who benefited from these marks have been granted the opportunity to retake the exam.
Despite requests, the court declined to halt student counseling. Numerous irregularities during the May 5 exam, such as paper leaks and unjust marking, have led to multiple pleas for a fresh examination being lodged at the Supreme Court. The case is being heard by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
Notably, 67 students achieved a perfect score of 720 out of 720, with objections raised on various grounds. Advocate Kanu Aggarwal, representing the government and the NTA, revealed that a decision was made to rescind the additional marks following student dissatisfaction. A committee formed by the NTA recommended the removal of the extra marks, offering affected students a chance to re-sit the exam on June 23, with results expected by June 30.
Students opting out of the re-exam will receive a certificate reflecting their original marks, minus the additional points. The court's decision not to pause the counseling process, set to commence on July 6, was accompanied by a note that medical college admissions hinge on the resolution of petitions seeking 'NEET' cancellation.
Allegations of arbitrary marking prompted Physics wala CEO Alakh Pandey to petition the court for all affected students to be granted a re-exam opportunity, a request that was denied. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan clarified that there is no evidence of 'NEET-UG' paper leaks and reassured students that no injustices would be suffered. He further stated that despite legal proceedings, no proof of malpractice has been uncovered against the NTA.