NEET Result Controversy:
Protests against NEET results continue into day five. Students in the thousands, braving sweltering heat, are demanding a Re-NEET due to irregularities in the examination process. The voices of India's future doctors are on the streets, with parents, coaching teachers, and the opposition holding the central government to account on this issue. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed on social media that the government should not ignore the voices of the lakhs of students. Meanwhile, the SP chief called it one of the government's failures on his previous Twitter account. Student organizations from DU and JNU, including SFI, AISA, NSUI, and ABVP, are also rallying in support of the candidates.
On the other hand, the National Testing Agency (NTA) consistently denies any wrongdoing. Despite significant protests, NTA's director-general Subodh Kumar has categorically refused the possibility of a re-examination. However, NTA has formed a committee to reconsider the results of 1563 candidates who sat for the NEET exam at just 6 centers, which may lead to a re-conduct of the exams for these students only if necessary. NTA's director-general insists that they have carefully analyzed all aspects and released the results. Out of 4750 centers, the problem was limited to only 6, and out of 24 lakh students, only 1563 faced the issue. The integrity of this national examination has not been compromised across the country, with no paper leaks reported. The entire exam process has been very transparent.
Neither candidates nor experts are satisfied with NTA's clarification of NEET results. Candidates and experts are still unsatisfied with the given explanations and are raising 5 significant questions towards the agency, as follows:
Question 1: Why were there arrests if there was no NEET paper leak?
Many candidates have claimed that the NEET paper was leaked. It was viral on social media and Telegram before the exam, yet NTA dismissed the leak entirely. An official notification by NTA claimed no leak occurred, and instead, an English paper was distributed instead of Hindi at one exam center. This statement only intensified the students' frustration, for if there was no leak, why were there arrests in Patna and Nalanda? Students claim that those involved confessed to obtaining the paper beforehand and memorizing the answers.
Read More: NEET Controversy Live: NTA Stands Firm against Re-NEET, Only 1563 Students May See Revised Results, Protests Continue
Question 2: How did 67 students become NEET toppers for the first time?
This year, 67 candidates were awarded an All India Rank-1. NTA rationalized that compared to previous years, this year's examination was easier, resulting in a higher number of clearances. An official from NTA mentioned that due to the increased number of candidates from 20,38,596 in 2023 to 23,33,297 in 2024, naturally, the number of high-scoring candidates was higher. Furthermore, NTA cited a mechanism established under the Supreme Court's judgment on June 13, 2018, stating that some candidates were compensated for their answering skills and the time lost due to delays at exam centers. Legal experts have raised the question that NTA is applying a ruling that explicitly does not apply to medical and engineering college admissions.
Question 3: Can NEET marks be 715 or 720, then how were 718 and 719 awarded?
For the first time in history, 67 candidates scored 720 marks, with two additional students scoring 718 and 719, which should not be possible. NTA has clarified that after petitions filed in the High Courts of Punjab and Haryana, Delhi, and Chhattisgarh, an investigation granted compensation to 1563 candidates for loss of time.
Also Read: NEET: 23 Chemotherapies-31 Radiations, Studying in Hospital... Maulik's Journey of Scoring 715 in NEET will Move You
Question 4: How did 6 students from the same exam center become toppers?
In Haryana, six students who sat for the NEET exam at the same center were each declared toppers with 720/720 marks. This has raised major suspicions of foul play among students. NTA has responded with the reasoning of grace marks. After student protests, a committee has been formed to investigate the results and a Re-NEET might be conducted for the affected 1563 students depending on the findings.
Question 5: Why was the NEET result released on the same day as the 2024 Lok Sabha election results?
NTA had informed in their informational bulletin that the NEET UG result would be announced on June 14, 2024. Students are questioning why the results were suddenly released on June 4th, on the day of the major democratic festivity—Lok Sabha election results. They suspect NTA chose this date to divert attention from their mistakes. NTA countered that they aimed to release the results record early, hence the decision to announce 10 days prior. NTA asserts success in declaring the results of nearly 23 lakh candidates in about 30 days while JEE Mains 2024 session-1 results were declared in 11 days, and session-2 took 15 days. NTA needs to understand that speed is not as critical for students as the accuracy and transparency of the results.
