After mark inflation in NEET UG 2024 result, medical aspirants flag irregularities, demand re-exams
With as many as 67 students obtaining a perfect score of 720/720 in NEET UG 2024 result, aspiring medical students and their parents raised concerns about a higher cut-off this year.
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A day after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) result was out declaring that as many as 67 students obtained a perfect score of 720/720 marks to share the All-India Rank (AIR) 1, a large section of medical aspirants and their parents on Wednesday raised multiple objections over glitches, potential malpractices, unclear implementation of grace marks and alleged paper leak.
According to many, the mark inflation in NEET UG 2024 result is expected to make securing a spot in medical school this year more difficult. Some aspiring students have turned to online forums to demand the cancellation of the results and a re-examination.
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The Indian Express had reportedthat of the 67 candidates who got a perfect score (720/720), as many as 44 made it to the top because they got an answer to a basic physics question wrong – and received “grace marks” for that.
Soon after the National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET-UG 2024 result on Tuesday late evening, many aspirants posted comments, photos, and videos on the internet pointing out unlikely scores obtained by some of the toppers in the merit list.
One such video claimed, “Considering the marking system used for NEET; it is impossible to score 718/720 or 719/720 in NEET. Yet the list features few toppers with this score which raises doubts.”
But the NTA reasoned it with grace marks by issuing a statement. “NTA received few representations and court cases from candidates of NEET (UG) 2024 raising concerns of loss of time during the conduct of the examination on 05.05.2024,” read the statement. It added that considering such cases, a normalisation formula devised by the apex court was implemented, and candidates with loss of time in the examination were compensated with grace marks.
However, according to medical aspirants and their parents, no normalisation formula was defined in the information brochure for NEET 2024. “Grace marks policy has to be clearly defined in advance. Furthermore, all those who complained of loss of time are not compensated with grace marks,” said Sudha Shenoy, a parent and a guide for medical aspirants, adding that she is currently addressing multiple questions from candidates and parents who are in panic.
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Shenoy said the inflation in marks has led to fear among medical aspirants and their parents about admissions. “Last year, a candidate with a score of 583/720 was able to bag a seat in government medical college which is considered tougher. But the anticipated cut-off this year is very high, which means, with the same score, a candidate may not even get into a private medical college,” she said.
Many states highlighted irregularities, including alleged paper leaks, in NEET, however, the NTA had not paid heed to these concerns, she added.
Another parent Brijesh Sutaria, who is also a guide for medical admissions, pointed out, “In 2023, only two students had scored 720/720. Whereas a year before that in 2022, nobody had a perfect score. In fact, the highest score was 715/720 in 2022. And this year, there are so many students with perfect scores.”
Sutaria also highlighted the inflation in marks and the increase in the number of candidates who appeared for NEET this year. “Students with 137 marks and above were eligible for medical admission in 2023. But this year, only those above 164 marks will be eligible for admissions.”
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Some aspirants in online forums have also pointed out that the same sequence of roll numbers of some of the high-scoring candidates from the NTA declared merit list indicates that they all appeared for the test from the same exam centre.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
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Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
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