New Delhi: The integrity of the NEET UG 2024 examination is under judicial scrutiny as a group of aspirants has approached the Supreme Court with a plea for re-examination. The petitioners have raised alarms over numerous instances of paper leaks, which they claim undermines the principle of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, giving certain candidates an unfair advantage.
Allegations and Clarifications: A Tug of War
The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the exam, has been embroiled in controversy with allegations ranging from paper leaks to high cut-offs. The NTA has addressed these concerns, stating that the high cut-off was a result of several writ petitions filed in various High Courts, which highlighted the time wastage at certain exam centers on May 5. The decision to set the cut-off was taken after settling these complaints.
Top Scores Under the Microscope
The spotlight has also fallen on the toppers, particularly those from a single exam center who scored the perfect 720 out of 720. The NTA has clarified that these candidates were high scorers even before the normalization process was applied. The agency asserts that bonus marks were awarded based on the loss of exam time, calculated using a statistical formula and corroborated by CCTV analysis and staff reports.
Early Results: Efficiency or Expediency?
The NTA’s decision to release the results on June 4, 2024, ten days ahead of the scheduled date, has been justified as a move to expedite the process for the candidates’ convenience. The protocol dictates that results be declared promptly following the resolution of any answer key challenges, typically within three to seven days, negating the need for any delay.
The Supreme Court’s intervention is now awaited to bring clarity to the situation and ensure the sanctity of the examination process is maintained.
