Impact on 48% of Students Who Missed NEET-UG Retest: What Lies Ahead

New Delhi: At NEET-UG re-test, officials from National Testing Agency (NTA) claimed that 48 per cent of 1,563 students who were given grace marks did not show up. Of se, only 813 students attended re-test at seven centres across country, while 750 were absent. ditionally, NTA debarred 17 candidates who h taken exam on May 5 at centres in Bihar. Earlier, agency h debarred 63 candidates for using unfair means during exam. Anor 30 candidates from Godhra, Gujarat, were debarred when exam was held on Saturday.  

What Will Happen to Students Who Skipped Re-test?

Students who did not attend re-test will have to accept ir original scores without grace marks. “At least 52 per cent—813 out of 1,563 candidates—appeared for retest on Sunday. While no candidate appeared in Chandigarh, number of candidates appearing from Chhattisgarh was 291, Gujarat one, Haryana 287 and Meghalaya 234,” a senior National Testing Agency (NTA) official said.

NEET Scam: What is Controversy

For unversed, re was a controversy over grace marks awarded to students to make up for loss of time at six centres where NEET-UG examination started late on May 5. Centre later told apex court that grace marks were being scrapped and se 1,563 students would be given an option to appear for a retest.

re were allegations that grace marks led to inflation of marks and contributed to six of grace mark candidates from same centre in Haryana scoring a perfect 720 along with 61 ors.

NEET Scam: CBI Takes Over Probe

CBI took over five new cases of alleged malpractices in medical entrance exam NEET-UG that were being investigated by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, as political storm intensified with opposition gearing up to confront government in Parliament on paper leak issue. Anti-Terrorism Squ (ATS) of Maharashtra police also arrested a Zilla Parish school teacher from Latur and registered a case against four persons after it emerged that a racket was being operated to help NEET students willing to pay money to crack exam.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider abolishing NEET,  national-level medical entrance exam introduced in 2013, and reverting to system of states conducting exam in wake of paper leak row. Several opposition MPs said on first day of 18th Lok Sabha that government will have to answer on issue in Parliament as it is causing hardship to lakhs of students.

As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Prhan proceeded to take oath in Lok Sabha, members of opposition shouted "NEET, NEET".

Education Ministry h also set up a seven-member panel heed by former ISRO chief K Rhakrishnan to review NTA's functioning and recommend exam reforms and it was slated to meet Monday evening.

Prhan h asserted that it was first of a series of steps to improve efficiency of examination process, put an end to all possible malpractices, strengn data security protocols and overhaul and reform NTA.

Centre also me public rules under recently notified anti-paper leak law, mandating National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to prepare norms, standards and guidelines for computer-based tests among ors.

Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 have provisions for "engagement of services of or government agencies by public examination authority", "preparations of norms, standards and guidelines" and "reporting of incidents of unfair means or offences" among ors.

Officials at Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said central agency has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR. It is also likely to take up anor case from Maharashtra's Latur.

Barring case from Bihar, or four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials, invigilators and candidates, officials said.

CBI has alrey registered its own FIR in connection with case on a reference from Union education ministry to conduct a comprehensive probe, y said.

After taking over se new cases, CBI is now probing six cases of alleged irregularities in NEET-UG.

Economic Offences Unit of Bihar Police arrested five more persons on Sunday, taking total arrests to 18.

Centre has drawn flak over alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and UGC-NET.

In a letter to PM, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee called for strong action against those involved in alleged irregularities in NEET-UG exam. "I strongly urge upon you to consider and take immediate steps to restore previous system of conducting this examination by state governments and abolish NEET examination. This will help restore normalcy and confidence of aspirant students in system,” she said.

While medical entrance exam question paper was allegedly leaked, according to an investigation by Bihar Police, UGC-NET was cancelled a day after it was conducted following input that exam's integrity h been compromised. Both matters are now being investigated by CBI.

Two or exams -- NEET-PG and CSIR-UGC NET -- have been cancelled by government amid row.