News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/8th June 2024
The education ministry has established a four-member panel to review the awarding of grace marks to more than 1,500 candidates in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, as announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday. This initiative follows allegations that inflated marks led to an unprecedented situation where 67 candidates shared the top rank in the exam.
NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh stated at a press conference that the panel, headed by a former UPSC chairman, would submit its recommendations within a week. He noted that the results of the affected candidates might be revised based on the panel’s findings.
Singh assured that the awarding of grace marks had not impacted the qualifying criteria for the exam and that the review of these results would not disrupt the admission process. Despite allegations from several NEET aspirants about mark inflation, the NTA maintained that there were no irregularities. They attributed the higher scores to changes in the NCERT textbooks and the granting of grace marks to compensate for lost time at examination centers.
The controversy arose when 67 candidates, including six from the same exam center, were reported to have achieved the top rank. The panel’s review aims to ensure the integrity of the exam results and address any concerns regarding fairness.
The decision to set up a review panel underscores the education ministry’s commitment to transparency and fairness in the NEET-UG examination process. By investigating the awarding of grace marks, the panel will help clarify whether the marks were justified and ensure that the exam results accurately reflect the candidates’ performance.
This move is crucial for maintaining trust in the NEET-UG exam, which serves as a gateway to medical education for thousands of aspiring doctors in India. The findings of the review panel will likely have significant implications for future examinations and the overall credibility of the NTA’s processes.
