This decision came amidst growing protests and legal challenges. On June 10, numerous students gathered in Delhi to demand an investigation into alleged irregularities, including question paper leaks and the controversial grant of grace marks. Notably, student organizations such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) have been prominent in these protests.
Timeline of Events Surrounding NEET-UG 2024 Controversy
May 5, 2024: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) across 4,750 centers, with around 24 lakh candidates appearing for the exam.
June 4, 2024: The results of NEET-UG were announced, earlier than expected, due to the expedited evaluation process.
June 10, 2024: Scores of students protested in Delhi, demanding a probe into alleged irregularities, including question paper leaks and the grant of grace marks.
June 13, 2024: The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the decision to award grace marks to 1,563 candidates due to delays at certain examination centers was withdrawn. The affected candidates would instead be offered a re-test, likely to be held on June 23, with results expected by June 30. The marks from the May 5 exam would be discarded for these students.
June 13, 2024: The Supreme Court, hearing multiple petitions including one from the chief executive of EdTech firm Physics Wallah Alakh Pandey, disposed of the petition on the issue of grace marks. On allegations of question paper leaks, the court directed NTA to file a response within two weeks. The next hearing on these allegations is scheduled for July 8.
July 6, 2024: The counselling session for NEET-UG candidates is scheduled to begin.
The Supreme Court, which heard multiple petitions related to the controversy, including one filed by the chief executive of the EdTech firm Physics Wallah Alakh Pandey, has directed the NTA to respond to the allegations of question paper leaks within two weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for July 8.
The controversy intensified with the unprecedented achievement of 67 students scoring a perfect 720, raising suspicions of irregularities. Six of these top-scoring students were from a single center in Faridabad, Haryana, further fueling the suspicions.
The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is a critical gateway for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across India. This year's controversy has led to protests and legal actions in several high courts, reflecting the high stakes and intense competition surrounding the examination.
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