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The National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision to award grace marks in the NEET 2024 exam has sparked controversy. In an attempt to compensate for lost time during the test, the NTA revised scores for 1,563 candidates, with some receiving marks as high as 718 and 719. However, the marking scheme for NEET follows a +4, -1 format, making scores exceeding 720 technically impossible. This inconsistency has raised concerns about fairness and the transparency of the marking process. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the issue, with some petitions calling for a re-examination for all affected students.
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NEET Exam 2024 Controversy
The NEET UG 2024 hearing revealed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has canceled the scorecards of 1,563 candidates who received “grace marks” in the exam. This decision came amidst allegations of irregularities and suspicions of a paper leak. These candidates will now have the opportunity to take a re-test on June 23, with results expected before June 30. Additionally, the counseling process for admissions will continue as scheduled.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that there’s no evidence of a paper leak in NEET-UG and assured that the government will abide by the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure fairness for all students. He emphasized that no student will face any disadvantage due to the situation.
The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG results has led to protests and calls for investigations into the alleged irregularities. The cancellation of grace marks for these candidates aims to address concerns about fairness and maintain the integrity of the examination process.
NEET Exam 2024: Latest Updates
📍10:49 (IST): NEET Result Delay Investigation
Allahabad High Court orders NTA to produce the original OMR sheet of a petitioner student alleging non-receipt of NEET result. The next hearing is set for June 18.
📍10:54 (IST): Shiv Sena MP Demands Probe
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi urges a CBI investigation into NEET UG 2024 irregularities, citing concerns over paper leaks, grace marks, and exam management.
📍11:00 (IST): Supreme Court Takes Action
Supreme Court hearing commences, the committee recommends canceling the scorecards of 1,563 candidates and conducting a retest.
📍11:10 (IST): Retest Announcement
NTA announces a retest for 1,563 affected candidates on June 23, amid controversies over grace marks and paper leaks.
📍11:23 (IST): Options for Affected Candidates
NTA provides two options: accept original scores or reappear for the exam. Affected students are to decide by June 23.
📍11:34 (IST): NTA Clarifies Process
NTA confirms retesting for affected candidates, offering choices of accepting original scores or reappearing. Exams are to occur in the same cities but in different centers.
📍11:38 (IST): Retest for 1563 Students
NTA offers a retest option for all 1,563 candidates who suffered time loss. Decision based on committee recommendation.
📍11:39 (IST): Consequences of Not Retesting
Candidates opting out of the retest will receive results based on actual scores without grace marks.
📍11:41 (IST): Affected Exam Centers
Six centers were identified as affected, including locations in Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Surat, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
📍11:46 (IST): Ministry Denies Paper Leak Union Education Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan dismisses paper leak allegations, asserting NTA’s credibility.
📍12:10 (IST): Education Minister Supports NTA
Minister Pradhan reaffirms confidence in NTA’s integrity, rejecting corruption allegations.
📍12:15 (IST): Grace Marks Calculation
NTA compensates 1,563 candidates for lost time, following a Supreme Court formula. Marks range from -20 to 720.
📍12:29 (IST): Expert Committee Composition
The special committee reviewing the NEET UG 2024 controversy comprises members from MoHFW, NIOS, and UPSC.
📍12:36 (IST): Congress Reacts
Congress demands an SC-monitored investigation into NEET UG issues and criticizes the government’s handling of the situation.
📍12:48 (IST): Committee Formation
NTA and the Education Ministry established a committee to review the normalization policy for candidates awarded grace marks.
📍13:11 (IST): Supreme Court Directive
SC directs NTA to ensure timely result declaration and smooth counseling process, amid ongoing controversies.
📍13:15 (IST): Retest Decision Timeline
The committee proposes retesting after the grace marks controversy during meetings on June 10-12.
📍13:23 (IST): Retest Result Deadline
NTA aims to release retest results for over 1,560 candidates before June 30 to avoid delays in counseling.
📍13:26 (IST): Record Toppers
NTA reports record-breaking NEET UG results, with 17 perfect scores and additional toppers due to grace mark adjustments.
📍13:42 (IST): Paper Leak Dismissal
Minister Pradhan denies NEET UG 2024 paper leak allegations, supporting NTA’s credibility.
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About NEET Exam
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is an important entrance exam for aspiring medical professionals in India. This single, nationwide exam determines a student’s eligibility for undergraduate medical (MBBS) and dental (BDS) courses in government and private colleges.
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) |
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Level | Undergraduate (UG) Exam at National Level |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| Total Registrations | 25 lakh approx. (NEET 2024) |
| Exam Mode | Offline or Paper Pencil Based Test (PBT) |
| Courses Offered Through NEET UG | MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, BAMS, BVSC & AH |
| Number of Exam Cities | 554 (India), 14 (Abroad) |
| Language/Medium of Paper | 13 Languages – English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Assamese, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi and Telugu |
| Accepting Colleges | 1,613 colleges |
| Total Number of Seats | MBBS – 1,09,145, BDS – 27,868, BAMS – 52,720, BVSc & AH – 603 |
| NEET Helpline Numbers | 011-69227700, 011-40759000 |
Important NEET Exam Dates 2024
The main NEET exam for 2024 has already passed. It was held on Sunday, May 5th, 2024. However, there is a re-exam scheduled for June 23rd, 2024 for a small group of students who received grace marks that are being reviewed. Here’s a table listing the NEET 2024 exam events:
| Dates | Event |
| 09 Feb ’24 – 16 Mar ’24 | NEET 2024 Application Process |
| 18 Mar ’24 – 20 Mar ’24 | NEET 2024 Application Correction |
| 09 Apr ’24 – 10 Apr ’24 | NEET 2024 Application Process Reopening |
| 10 Apr ’24 – 15 Apr ’24 | NEET 2024 Application Correction Reopened Window |
| 24 Apr ’24 | NEET 2024 City Intimation Slip |
| 25 Apr ’24 – 26 Apr ’24 | NEET 2024 Application Correction Reopened Window for Photographs |
| 05 May ’24 | NEET 2024 Exam |
| 30 May ’24 | NEET 2024 Provisional Answer Key Release |
| 30 May ’24 – 01 Jun ’24 | NEET 2024 Answer Key Challenge Submission |
| 04 Jun ’24 | NEET 2024 Final Answer Key Release |
| 04 Jun ’24 | NEET 2024 Result |
| 23 Jun ’24 | NEET 2024 Re-Exam |
| 30 Jun ’24 | NEET 2024 Re-exam Result |
FAQs
A panel consisting of four members was established by the Education Ministry last week to examine the grace marks granted to 1,563 students as a means of making up for the time lost when the exam was delayed in some places.
Physics Wallah CEO Alakh Pandey filed one of the petitions, arguing that the NTA’s decision to grant grace marks was “arbitrary”. According to reports, Pandey gathered samples from over 20,000 students, demonstrating that at least 1,500 students received a random distribution of 70–80 scores as grace marks.
The purpose of these scores was to make up for the time lost in the exam. The committee has decided to remove these 1,563 candidates’ scorecards. These pupils will have the opportunity to retake the test as a solution.
This was all about the “NTA Grace Marks”. For more such informative blogs, check out our NEET Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.