48% of 1,563 students who got grace marks skip NEET-UG retest

Only 813 or 52% of the 1,563 candidates who were initially awarded grace marks in the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) before they were withdrawn last week appeared for a retest on Sunday, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said, as affected students, who did not opt for a re-examination, were allowed to retain their actual scores without the grace marks.

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While none of the two candidates from Chandigarh appeared for the exam, 219 out of 602 sat for the retest in Chhattisgarh, one (sole eligible candidate) in Gujarat, 287 out of 494 in Haryana and 234 out of 464 in Meghalaya.

The data was provided by NTA in a statement after the exam was conducted across seven centres in the five states and Union territory.

The retest for the 1,563 students was held days after the Centre scrapped the grace marks awarded to them, taking the first step in dispelling the chaos engulfing India’s premier medical entrance examination that threatens to jeopardise the futures of hundreds of thousands of children amid allegations of paper leaks. The grace marks were awarded to the candidates on account of loss of time during the May 5 exam.

On June 13, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it proposed to withdraw the scorecards issued to 1,563 students and allow them to either appear for a fresh exam or retain their actual scores without the grace marks.

The chaos over the crucial medical exam has sparked sweeping protests across India as thousands of students have hit the streets against this year’s examination process and opposition parties have called for scrapping of the examination and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations of paper leak.

However, a senior official in the Union education ministry, who did not wish to be identified, on Sunday said that incidents of malpractices are “localised” or “isolated” and it is not fair to jeopardise careers of lakhs of candidates who cleared the exam rightfully.

Last week, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan rejected the allegations of paper leak and reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguard the interest of students. On Saturday, the Centre removed NTA director general Subodh Kumar Singh and appointed IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola for the role. It also formed a seven-member committee to comprehensively review the structure, processes and working of the authority, which has come under criticism from various quarters after a slew of crucial national examinations involving the fates of millions of candidates were botched up. The panel will hold its first meet on Monday.

NEET-UG: 17 candidates from Bihar, 30 from Gujarat debarred for malpractices

Meanwhile, NTA debarred 17 students, who appeared for the medical exam on May 5 in Bihar, over suspicion of malpractices, following a report from the state police’s Economic Offences Unit.

Asked if the students were involved in the alleged paper leak, the official cited above said: “It is for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe now.”