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The Central government informed the Supreme Court that candidates who received less time during the NEET UG 2024 exam would be allowed to retake the test. If they opt not to retake the exam, their original scores will be kept, but any grace marks given for the time loss will be removed.
This decision comes amid concerns over the “arbitrary” awarding of grace marks, which reportedly led to a surprising increase in top scores. Allegations of malpractices, cheating, and other irregularities during the exam have also surfaced.
The Supreme Court was told that 1,563 candidates were affected because they received less than the allotted time for the NEET 2024 exam. These candidates will have the option to retake the exam. If they choose to do so, their previous scores will be canceled, and only the new scores from the retest will count. If they decide not to retake the test, their original scores will stand, but without the previously awarded grace marks.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was informed that this solution was proposed after a committee meeting held on June 12. The Court recorded this decision in its order. The Court noted, “As per the recommendations, it has been suggested that the scorecard of affected 1,563 candidates will be canceled and withdrawn, and actual scores will be informed without grace marks. A re-exam will be conducted for them. The result of those who do not take the retest will be their actual scores without grace marks.”
The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the retest would be held on June 23, with results expected by June 30. Medical college counseling will begin on July 6.
The Supreme Court is handling petitions regarding the conduct of the NEET UG exam. Some petitions challenge the award of grace marks, while others call for the cancellation of the NEET results announced on June 4. Advocate Kanu Agrawal, representing the Central government, explained that the decision to hold a retest for those who received grace marks due to time loss was made by an NTA committee on June 12. This was done to address the concerns of students.
The Court was informed that the retest would cover 1,563 students from six exam centers who were affected by the time issue. Advocate J Sai Deepak, representing a petitioner (Alakh Pandey, founder of test prep startup PhysicsWallah), raised concerns that while this decision provides a second chance for some candidates, there are others with concerns who have not approached the Court.
The Bench stated that it could not expand the scope of the case to include those who had not yet approached the Court. However, the Court ordered the NTA to respond to allegations of unfair practices in the NEET exam by July 8, when the case will be heard next. Advocate Naresh Kaushik represented the NTA.
In summary, affected NEET UG 2024 candidates can choose to retake the exam or keep their original scores without grace marks. This decision aims to ensure fairness amid controversies regarding the exam’s conduct and the awarding of grace marks.